Oscar Piastri is already impressing McLaren
McLaren and their new director, Andrea Stella, believe that Oscar Piastri has everything to become one of the top drivers on the grid.
Oscar Piastri is, along with Nyck de Vries and Logan Sargeant, one of the three rookies to start in F1 this season. After a challenging first weekend in Bahrain where he had to retire from the race due to an electronic issue with his McLaren, the Australian driver is determined to bounce back next weekend in Saudi Arabia. Interviewed by the official F1 website, his boss Andrea Stella expresses his admiration for his new protégé.
The level of talent and progress that Oscar demonstrates day after day since the preseason trials are very encouraging and confirm that he will be a safe bet in the future, affirms the Italian leader.
Asked about what impresses him the most about Piastri, Andrea Stella mentions the quality of technical feedback from the Melbourne native: « What struck me from the beginning is his understanding of the environment behind the wheel. He can come back to the pits and make comments like “I think I braked a bit too early at turn one” or “I didn’t accelerate enough at turn four.” Then, when we look at the data, we see that’s exactly what happened. »
Looking towards the future, Stella has no doubt that Daniel Ricciardo’s compatriot will become a great driver: « Formula 1 is a very, very competitive sport. Oscar just needs to follow his own path. I am confident that the ultimate destination is for him to become one of the best drivers on the grid.
The expectations are very high around the 21-year-old pilot. Winner of the F3 and F2 championships, both times in his first participations, many observers see him as the future star of F1.
