Oscar Piastri will earn $30million LESS than teammate Lando Norris in his first season in Formula 1 26
Oscar Piastri will earn $30million LESS than teammate Lando Norris in his first season in Formula 1 27
Oscar Piastri will earn a whopping $30 million less than teammate Lando Norris in his first season in Formula 1, and he revealed he hopes Daniel Ricciardo will stay in the sport after being dumped by McLaren.
The Woking team confirmed earlier this month that the young Australian will replace his compatriot from next season, with Ricciardo leaving McLaren after a difficult season.
A world champion in Formula 2 and Formula 3 for the past two seasons, Piastri has long been regarded as one of Formula 1’s rising stars.
Oscar Piastri will race for McLaren in 2023 after replacing Daniel Ricciardo
However, his arrival on the grid does not automatically mean that he will join the big earners of the sport.
According to the Herald Sunthe 21-year-old will earn $775,000 in his first season, a relatively modest return for a sport where eye-watering salaries are the norm.
To put the figure in context, Ricciardo reportedly received a $14 million payout from McLaren after agreeing to leave his seat despite having one year left on his contract.
Norris’ annual salary, meanwhile, is estimated at $32 million.
Piastri will earn $750,000 next year while his teammate Lando Norris will earn $32 million
And Ricciardo will receive a $14 million payout after McLaren decided to leave the Australian a year before the end of his contract
Likewise, lucrative contracts for Piastri could be on the horizon should his career progress as McLaren hopes. For now, however, the Melbournian insists that the fame and fortune that comes with being a Formula 1 driver is barely visible on his radar.
“For me, the attention and that side of things isn’t something I’ve ever really craved,” he said.
“I’m here to enjoy what I do first and to do my best second. Everything after that is almost secondary.’
McLaren’s courtship with the young Australian was one of the sport’s worst kept secrets, until he was officially revealed as their driver earlier this month. forcing Ricciardo to constantly deny speculation about his future.
Piastri won the Formula 2 world title the first time he asked for it and won a total of six races
Ricciardo has since been linked with some of the teams that need to fill a seat for the 2023 season, but has admitted his future remains up in the air amid rumors of a potential move to NASCAR.
But Piastri hopes his compatriot can stay in Formula 1 after being dumped by McLaren as it would be fantastic’ to have two Aussies on the grid.
“I think it’s pretty rare to get that chance, so for me that would be great. But I’m not sure what Daniel’s career holds in the future,” he said.
McLaren’s negotiations with Piastri also sparked a lengthy legal battle between Alpine and the 21-year-old over a contract the latter would have signed.
The 21-year-old hopes that fellow countryman Ricciardo will stay in Formula 1 next season
Piastri, who is led by former Australian Formula 1 star Mark Webber, has been part of the Alpine Academy since 2020 and was the team’s reserve driver in Formula 1 this year.
In August, the French team announced the Australian was promoted from reserve driver to partner Esteban Ocon and replace the Aston Martin bound Fernando Alonso from next season.
However, Piastri was quick to deny that an agreement had been reached, leaving Alpine with a seat for 2023.
When it became clear that Piastri was close to McLaren, Alpine insisted that Piastri be under contract with the team until the 2023 season.
Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer questioned Piastri’s integrity when the team and driver became embroiled in a legal dispute last month
The driver steadfastly rejected the claim, prompting Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer to accuse him of ‘lack of integrity’, before the International Motoring Federation (FIA) contract recognition board (CRB) ruled in favor of the Australian in the dispute.
Piastri admitted the legal spat was not the smoothest introduction to Formula 1.
“Obviously it was a pretty tough time and I think the details of what happened are pretty well documented,” he said.
“I’m just glad it’s all settled now and I’m really excited.”