McLaren driver Oscar Piastri is confident he is in a “strong place” to attack the final ten rounds of the 2024 season.
The second-year driver has enjoyed a breakthrough season so far, taking his maiden grand prix victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix as well as three other podium finishes.Piastri headed into the summer break with significant momentum, having scored more than any driver in the championship over the five rounds leading into the shutdown, aside from Lewis Hamilton.
“I think definitely the last few weeks have been very strong from my side,” Piastri said. “I think honestly the whole season’s been pretty good.
“A couple of weekends in the middle of the year were a bit tricky. Japan and China mainly were pretty tough – and obviously Barcelona – but I feel like all the other races have been quite strong. It’s just that we’ve had a lot of things that haven’t been going our way in some ways. Whether it’s interesting track limit penalties or crashes or mistakes, there’s always kind of been things and I feel like the last few weekends I have been able to tidy it up.”
After taking a race win in Hungary before finishing second to Hamilton in the latest round of the championship at Spa-Francorchamps, Piastri says he is pleased with how much his performances improved over those two latest races compared to at the same venue in his rookie year.
“I feel like I’ve taken a step forward from last year, definitely,” he said. “I think in these tricky, kind of, races like this, last year I was struggling in a race like this.
“I feel like I’ve made good progress and obviously the car is very quick as well. So I feel like I’m gaining some nice momentum, which is good, but I know how quickly it can turn around and go the other way as well.
“I just keep trying to build on it, but I feel like I’m in a strong place.”
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Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
10th August 2024, 21:07
I’m conflicted about Oscar.
His attitude seems rather weak and submissive … but his eyes tell me not to get trapped in a lift with him.
I am certain that he will win (genuinely win) races and be a force to consider throughout his F1 career, and yet, there is something lacking about the guy that I can not define.
I look forwards to being proved wrong.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
10th August 2024, 23:06
Just look at his record breaking accomplishments in the junior categories. He is a race winning machine. I predict a 2027 world championship is coming his way.
What he is lacking is an old fashioned ego, which was what actually held guys like Schumi and Senna up in their early careers. He is a cool customer, who has learned from history how to be a modern winner. Sleek and self-contained. Calm as an astronaut. Can you tell I am a big fan?
anon
11th August 2024, 7:54
@ferrox-glideh whilst you describe Piastri as having “record breaking accomplishments in the junior categories”, I am not sure that he has actually broken any records during his junior career.
It’s not to say that he didn’t put in strong performances during his career, but he does not appear to have broken any records at all during his time in Formula 3 – he didn’t break any points records, and didn’t set any records for number of wins in a season or number of podium finishes either. Similarly, whilst his record in Formula 2 was strong, again, he doesn’t seem to have set any records there either in terms of victories, podium finishes or any other metrics.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
11th August 2024, 12:51
anon: I could be wrong, but I think that his success rate in consecutive junior categories was unprecedented. According to wikipedia, he is the only driver in history to win Formula Renault, Formula Three, and Formula Two (or equivalent) championships in successive seasons.
anon
11th August 2024, 14:13
@ferrox-glideh that may also be something of a reflection of the way that junior series are now structured and the way that the FIA handles licencing criteria though.
There might not always have been a direct equivalent to some of those championships – and there’s always the question of how the person who wrote that profile on Wikipedia might have interpreted what counted as an equivalent championship – and, equally, might not have always been the desire or the need for a driver to compete in those series if they could skip ahead to a more prestigious series, or perhaps to jump to a testing role in Formula 1 before fully completing some of those junior series.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
11th August 2024, 14:57
anon- Formula Renault, Formula three and Formula two are all top series- I can’t think of any more prestigious than those (maybe Super Formula or Indycar) outside of F1. His accomplishments are impressive.
Ross
11th August 2024, 6:06
Just because he’s not loud? He’s calm and perceptive, his junior category record speaks for itself.
Stoo
12th August 2024, 18:22
I agree, he seems a tad sly to me, and his recent bid to become the No 1 driver (dialogue wise), over Norris who has served the team very well for a long time when the car just didn’t have it to win, I know Norris has made some howler starts this year, and it’s only that which spoiled his chances of beating Max recently.
As for the Win in Hungary (that Piastri had handed to him on a plate), and all the pleading for LN to back off and slow down enough so OP could take P1, I can remember twice when Piastri was given first choice of pitstop when he was way behind and needed a boost, and one of those times he finished ahead of Norris …….. where was all the pleading then ???
Mayrton
13th August 2024, 11:10
He has the best car of the field and an inconsistent team mate. The wins are his to lose.