Harry Styles ‘shows support’ for Daniel Ricciardo as McLaren look to oust Aussie
Daniel Ricciardo appears to have friends in high places as he looks to revive his flagging F1 career.
The McLaren driver is at the centre of the summer break’s big story as his team looks to replace him with fellow Australian Oscar Piastri, who has emphatically told Alpine he won't be Aston Martin-bound Fernando Alonso’s replacement next season.
Piastri is Alpine’s reserve driver but is reportedly set to land the McLaren seat where he would team up with Lando Norris in 2023. As a result, McLaren are in talks with Ricciardo over ending his contract a year early. The 33-year-old is reportedly looking for a payoff of around $21million (just over £17million), according to RacingNews365.
READ MORE: Daniel Ricciardo breaks silence as F1 fans tear into ‘backstabbing’ McLaren
Two weeks into the saga, McLaren are yet to make a public statement on the Ricciardo and Piastri, with their treatment of the former in particular being criticised by a section of F1 fans. Ricciardo himself is seemingly relaxed about the situation and posted a smiling picture of himself in a swimming pool last week.
The popular Aussie has plenty of fans rooting for him and one of them appears to be former One Direction star Harry Styles, who has been seemingly be pictured wearing Ricciardo merchandise.
A picture posted to social media, claiming to be of Styles wearing a Ricciardo-branded T-shirt in a shop, has sent sections of the F1 community into meltdown while Australian media has also latched onto the story.
Do you think Daniel Ricciardo has been unfairly treated by McLaren? Have your say in the comments section below.
“Was Harry Styles actually out and about wearing a Daniel Ricciardo shirt or is the picture fake? I NEED CLARITY,” demanded one fan.
Another posted: “Stop promoting merch @danielricciardo, you have Harry styles doing it for you,” joked another.
A third said: “Harry Styles and Daniel Ricciardo isn't the crossover I want, it’s the crossover I need. The One Direction to F1 pipeline becomes more prominent every day.”
A fourth wrote: “Today it's Harry Styles wearing Daniel Ricciardo merch. It Never Ends.”
Ricciardo, McLaren and Alpine will be back on duty when the F1 season resumes at Spa in Belgium at the end of the month.
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