• Daniel Ricciardo will leave McLaren F1 at the end of 2022
• He has not made an official announcement regarding his plans for 2023
• Oscar Piastri is the most likely candidate to replace Daniel Ricciardo

The Piasco (Piastri Fiasco) ramped up yesterday after Daniel Ricciardo officially announced that he will part ways with the McLaren F1 team at the end of 2022. According to Ricciardo, the agreement was mutual.

That term, also known as Oscargate, is in reference to the current situation surrounding the McLarenand Alpine F1 teams, Daniel Ricciardo, and maybe-probably-alleged future McLaren driver, Oscar Piastri.

For now, we know that everyone's favorite Aussie is currently without a drive for the 2023 season, and only a limited number of seats remain unoccupied.

Ricciardo said that it was "a privilege" to be part of the McLaren F1 team and that he'll be announcing his own future plans in due course. We suspect he's talking about the Alpine F1 team, formerly known as Renault F1.

Ricciardo drove for Renault during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, placing fifth overall during his second season with the French team. His career-best was with Red Bull, reaching third overall during the 2016 season.

If you're out of the loop on the Piasco, here's how the cards came tumbling down. First, Fernando Alonso shocked us all by announcing that he would be Vettel's replacement at Aston Martin.

A day later, Alpine tweeted that Piastri would join the team. Then, Piastri fired back, stating that he would not, in fact, join Alpine. Even tough Piastri was a reserve driver for Alpine, his contract expired on the exact day Alonso made his shock announcement.

Here's where things get incredibly complicated, however. In early August, the FIA Contract Recognition Board stated that Piastri's contract with McLaren was above board and legal. A few days later, they also approved his contract with Alpine. This particular mess is far from being cleaned up, which is likely why McLaren chose not to make an official announcement about a new driver.

Alpine and Piastri are in court working out the finer details of what looks to be a very sticky contractual situation. But after this recent announcement, it seems McLaren's heart is set on Piastri.

"I would like to thank Daniel for his dedication and contribution over the last two seasons so far. Despite the shared challenges, he has always turned up with a fighting spirit and positivity and helped the entire team to always keep pushing forward," said Andreas Seidl, McLaren's team principal.

"Daniel has been a great addition to McLaren, and it's been a pleasure working with him. I'd like to thank him for all of his efforts over the last two seasons both trackside and back at base. It's no secret that we hoped we could achieve more together but seeing him stand on the top step of the podium as a McLaren driver was a highlight. We wish him well for the future and let's go enjoy the rest of the season together," said Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO.

Throughout his career, Ricciardo has managed to pull off some incredible wins. The driver has managed eight, including the epic one-two at Monza last year. Following that victory, McLaren even named a 720S after Danny Ric. How quickly things change at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Ricciardo is a fan favorite, despite his unfortunate habit of landing at the wrong team at the wrong time in an attempt to fight for the championship he so clearly desires.

Where will he end up next?