"He didn't bloody race for a long time": Former Red Bull driver looks back at Oscar Piastri's journey since his F1 debut

Daniel Ricciardo has reflected on Oscar Piastri's journey from when he first joined the Red Bull junior team to his recent Formula 1 debut with McLaren.

Piastri made his F1 debut at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix after winning the Formula 2 Championship the previous year. He finished ninth in the race and has since scored points in each of the following races.

Ricciardo labels Piastri as "special"

Ricciardo, who was Piastri's teammate at Red Bull in 2014-15 and 2018-19, has observed the youngster's progress closely and is impressed with what he has seen.

"I was there when he first signed for the team and we used to do those little evaluations of him and he was always very impressive," Ricciardo said.

"It was pretty clear very early on that he had something special."

Ricciardo on Piastri's Formula 1 debut

Ricciardo believes that Piastri has made a smooth transition to Formula 1 and is adapting well to the challenges of the sport.

"I think he's done a really good job," Ricciardo said.

"He's only done a handful of races but he's already shown that he's got the pace and the racecraft to compete at this level."

Ricciardo's advice for Piastri

Ricciardo offered some advice for Piastri as he continues his Formula 1 career.

"My advice would be to just keep doing what he's doing," Ricciardo said.

"He's got a great team around him and he's got the talent to succeed."