McLaren given Daniel Ricciardo 'black mark' as Project Piastri falters

McLaren has faced significant criticism for their decision to replace Daniel Ricciardo with Oscar Piastri, who joined the team for the 2023 season after a contentious negotiation with Alpine. Initially, Piastri showed great promise, leading the championship by mid-2025, but his performance has since declined, and he now sits in seventh place in the standings, trailing teammate Lando Norris by 55 points as of 2026.

Former F1 team boss Peter Windsor has publicly stated that McLaren's handling of Piastri has been poor, suggesting that the team would have been better off retaining Ricciardo. Windsor argues that Piastri's move to McLaren has hindered his career trajectory, as he was once viewed as a rising star in Formula 1 but is now overshadowed by other drivers.