Former F1 strategist Bernie Collins has tipped Oscar Piastri to “really challenge” Lando Norris in the F1 2024 season after “standing up to” his McLaren team-mate in 2023.
Piastri had a fantastic debut season in F1 this year, showcasing his skills by outperforming Norris at iconic tracks like Spa and Suzuka. He achieved remarkable success with two podium finishes in Japan and Qatar.
Additionally, he even secured pole position for the Qatar sprint race, fending off the fierce competition from Max Verstappen’s Red Bull to clinch a well-deserved victory in Lusail.
Oscar Piastri tipped to take the fight to Lando Norris
Collins, who previously worked at McLaren before joining Force India (now Aston Martin) in 2015, firmly believes that Piastri is destined for greatness. He was truly amazed by Piastri’s unwavering determination and dedication to addressing his weaknesses.
During his appearance on the KTM Summer Grill show, Collins expressed his admiration for Piastri, highlighting his impressive qualities.
Just by conversing with him in the paddock, Collins noticed Piastri’s remarkable composure, level-headedness, and unwavering focus on his goals. Piastri doesn’t allow himself to be distracted by the various aspects that come with being in Formula 1.
Piastri understood that his performance on the track this year would be the ultimate measure of his success. He knew that he needed to concentrate solely on his racing and that’s exactly what he did.
There was so much buzz surrounding Oscar because of how his signing went last year, and everyone was concerned about how he would fare against Norris, who is clearly excelling in that car.
It was a daunting challenge, but I must say Oscar has really risen to the occasion and exceeded my expectations in qualifying and the sprint races.
During my interview with him in Japan, he openly admitted that the only area he needs to work on is his race pace.
I was pleasantly surprised by his honesty in that interview. When you analyze the races he’s had throughout the year, Norris has consistently outperformed him in terms of long-run race pace and tire management.
However, the fact that Oscar was able to recognize this early on and is actively working on it is commendable. He can utilize the winter break to review the races where Norris outperformed him, identify areas for improvement in his driving, and learn from Norris’s techniques.
The man who brought Oscar Piastri to Europe noticed his incredible speed from the very beginning.
I am confident that he will become even stronger next year.
He is not afraid to challenge Norris and is constantly pushing the team to improve.
Their good relationship this year might turn into a fierce rivalry if Piastri continues to push Norris.
These are promising signs from Piastri.
He had a fantastic first year and if he maintains his strong work ethic, he will definitely give Norris a run for his money next year.
And if McLaren’s performance improves, we might see Piastri on the podium more often.
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