Australian F1 champion Alan Jones hypes Oscar Piastri’s title hopes, labels Lando Norris ‘mentally weak’

Oscar Piastri is heavily favoured to break a 45-year F1 championship drought for Australian drivers – with the last one to do it taking a surprising shot at the McLaren driver’s teammate and rival.

Australia’s most recent Formula 1 world champion Alan Jones has backed Oscar Piastri to end the country’s 45-year drought in the sport, saying the “strong-minded” McLaren star had “all the attributes” to win the title this year.

Four and a half decades after Jones won the Formula 1 world championship in 1980, he said Piastri was the driver ready to take over the mantle for Australia as he labelled the title leader’s teammate Lando Norris mentally “weak”.

Piastri became the first Australian since his manager – former Red Bull star Mark Webber – in 2010 to lead the Formula 1 world drivers’ championship after his victory in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The Melbourne-born ace has made a blistering start to his third F1 campaign, winning three of the opening five races on the calendar, including victories in China and Bahrain.

McLaren's British driver Lando Norris has been labelled ‘mentally weak’ by Australian F1 champion Alan Jones. Picture: AFP

Asked for his take on Piastri’s start to the season, Jones had no doubt Piastri was ready to win the championship this year, saying he had the mental strength to “get the job done”.

“He is without a doubt a future world champion,” Jones said on The Back Page.

“He has got all the attributes you need to be a world champion.

“He can do it this year, no question.

“His (Piastri’s) teammate is quite quick, there is no doubt about that, but mentally I think he (Norris) is quite a weak person.

“He is dwelling on some of the problems that he has had rather than the positives. When they start talking all that nonsense, you know you have got them.

“Oscar is a pretty strong-minded young kid, I love him. He doesn’t show off, he doesn’t dance all over the place, he is just a really good strong individual and I think that’s exactly what we need to get the job done.”

Jones hailed Piastri’s maturity and laid-back nature, but said he “grew horns” once he was in the car.

“He has got an old head on young shoulders,” Jones said.

“He is very, very mature. He is very laid back, he is not easily (flustered) or whatever.

“Whereas I said before I think his teammate is the opposite way. I think the teammate could be a little bit blown out a little bit quite easily and I think Oscar will take advantage of that.

“I think he has got the brains and the strength to do that. He is very laid back, he doesn’t say much, he just gets on with it which I love.

“Out of the car he is actually quiet … but when he’s in the car, he grows horns. That’s what you want.”

Jones predicted Piastri would not be intimidated by four-time world champion Max Verstappen in a title fight.

“Oscar is not going to be put off by that,” Jones said.

“There are a lot of drivers that he will bluff (Max) and he will hold them to ransom a little bit. Whereas Oscar … he will just take it for what it is and give it back to him.”

Originally published as Australian F1 champion Alan Jones hypes Oscar Piastri’s title hopes, labels Lando Norris ‘mentally weak’