The former Formula 1 pilots, Mick Schumacher and Valtteri Bottas, switched Oscar Piastria to Australia to challenge the world championship before the Melbourne Grand Prix.
Piastri, who started his third season with McLaren, quickly established himself as one of the most brilliant talents in Formula 1 since its beginnings in 2023.
Winning from two Grands Prix during his impressive first season, including a memorable victory in Hungary, he played a key role in the victory of the McLaren Historical Manufacturers Championship last year.
The Triumph 2024 put an end to the painful drought of 26 years of McLaren, a victory made sweeter by their constant improvement throughout the season, culminating in their domination during the final of Abu Dhabi.
He no longer flies under the radar, with peers and champion drivers who went around Piastri to become the first Australian since Alan Jones in 1980 to win the pilot championship.
Schumacher, the son of the seventh legendary champion Michael Schumacher, briefly tested McLaren’s car in 2023 as a reserve driver and described the experience as “the best and the most incredible car to drive”.
The peers of Oscar Piastri think that he can become the first Australian since Alan Jones in 1980 to be crowned world champion of Formula 1
PiaStri impressed in his first season and was an upward star watched by his rivals
“I also chased the McLaren from last year. It was quite impressive, so it’s great ” said Schumacher.
After crossing Piastri during their years of training, Schumacher closely monitored his progress and predicts continuous success.
“I think he’s a great guy and I think he’s great, super nice and does an excellent work in F1,” said Schumacher.
Bottas, currently a reserve driver for Mercedes and a popular figure among the Australian fans, echoed Schumacher’s feelings, praising Piastri’s calm approach.
“He is very refrigerated, he is a really nice guy and does not seem to have played games or makes a policy,” said Bottas, highlighting the concentrated and professional attitude of Australia.
Given McLaren’s performance during tests, Bottas thinks that Piastri is a real competitor this year.
“I think it is a great chance this year, based on the performance of the teams we saw during the tests,” said Bottas.
Mick Schumacher, son of F1 Great Michael Schumacher, was impressed by the rise
Valtteri Bottas also thinks that the Australian has a real chance of becoming world champion
Guenther Steiner pulled the role that Mark Webber played as a Piastri manager
Bottas has gained popularity in Australia for her humorous personality, engaging fans through fun advertisements, sporting a mule haircut and enthusiastically embracing local customs.
Guenther Steiner, former director of the Haas team, also supports Piastri, praising the role of Mark Webber as a manager.
Webber, himself an old Australian pilot F1, brings a vast experience and knowledge, crucially helping Piastri to avoid the potential traps of his career.
“It is very important because Mark can teach Oscar’s errors that he should not do because Mark made them himself,” said Steiner.
Steiner, confident in Piastri’s potential, thinks that the young driver can immediately dispute if he starts hard.
“This year, if he starts in good foot,” said Steiner, “he can already be this year.”
For his part, Piastri enters the season with new confidence and new clarity after addressing the main areas of development in 2024.
“It is definitely a clean slate this year,” said Piastri, acknowledging that he felt better prepared compared to previous seasons.
Piastri and McLaren will have strict regulations to join this season which will challenge its world champion
Although he has always worked to improve, Piastri thinks that he has evolved considerably since his inception.
“I think last season, I approached, it is now a question of addressing them every weekend,” continued Piastri.
However, the future way will be difficult for McLaren due to the restrictive regulations of Formula 1 designed to create rules of the game.
Under the current rules, teams that succeed as McLaren have reduced the blower time compared to the teams to lower the manufacturers’ championship table.
These limitations mean that McLaren must continue to develop their car effectively to remain competitive.