The nine were arrested for indecency after stripping down to “budgie smugglers” (Australian slang for briefs) stamped with the Malaysian flag and sculling beer from their shoes on Sunday.
They could be jailed for up to two years under Malaysian law but Aussie F1 ace Ricciardo said he hoped they would be freed, the newspaper reported.
“It sounds like they have learned their lesson and I don’t think they will be doing that again any time soon in Malaysia.
“I see it as pretty harmless.
“I respect the laws in Malaysia but beyond that I don’t think they deserve any further punishment.
“They’ve been arrested, so that already in my books is lesson learnt.
“I guess when they travel next time they will check the laws for where they go but, for me, there is no reason for anything else to happen.
“Obviously, Malaysia has their law and whatever will be, but from my side, personally, they were just enjoying the celebration and obviously it just went a step too far for those laws.’’
The group is believed to have been chanting “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie’’ and replicating Ricciardo’s trademark “shoey” celebration before being arrested, the report added.
The five-day remand for the nine expires tomorrow and they are expected to be charged tomorrow.
The newspaper said the group included Jack Walker, a staffer of federal Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne, and Timothy Yates, 29, the son of Australian diplomat Tom Yates, a former consul-general in Tripoli, Libya, who is now a trade commissioner in Fukuoka, Japan.
It said families of the so-called “Budgie Nine” have started to arrive in Malaysia to support the nine.
The newspaper said group members had previously stripped to their budgie smugglers at Croatia Yacht Week and in Sydney’s Martin Place at a parade called Strut The Streets to help raise cash to mentor indigenous Australians.
The pals predominantly met while studying at the University of Sydney between 2008 and 2012.
Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop criticised the nine.
“They are facing certain charges and what might be seen as a foolish prank or Aussie blokey behaviour in Australia can be seen very differently in another country,’’ she said.