Aussie F1 gun Oscar Piastri on verge of 15-year first as pressure builds on Lando Norris leading into Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri has swerved past any talk about his F1 title hopes with 20 races still remaining, but is full of confidence and could break an Aussie drought in Saudi Arabia.
On the verge of becoming the first Australian to lead the Formula One drivers’ championship in 15 years, Oscar Piastri still isn’t allowing himself to get distracted by the whining coming from his under pressure British teammate Lando Norris.
Full of confidence ahead of this weekend’s Saudi Arabia, Piastri says he isn’t even thinking about snatching the lead from his older McLaren teammate, who has admitted to becoming increasingly uncomfortable by the sustained challenge coming from the Aussie young gun.
The only driver to finish on the podium in all four races this season, Norris still leads the drivers’ standings but is showing signs of wilting under the strain after Piastri cut the margin to three points after winning the Chinese Grand Prix then last week’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
“I would say how it looks is how I feel. It’s been a great start to the season,” Piastri told reporters in Jeddah.
“Last week was a very special weekend and a performance that I’m very, very proud of so hopefully we can keep that going but everything’s been good so far.
“I’ve been feeling happy with the car, happy with the team around me and I think the results are reflecting that a lot.”
Regardless of where Norris finishes, a victory for Piastri in the Saudi kingdom will guarantee he becomes the first Australian to lead the Formula One championship since Mark Webber in 2010.
Back-to-back wins would also see Piastri leapfrog Norris as the new favourite to win the title and join Jack Brabham and Alan Jones as the only Aussies to win the biggest prize in motorsport.
But the 24-year-old from Melbourne is far too streetwise to fall for that, swerving past any talk about his title hopes with 20 races still remaining this year.
“The best way of building a championship charge at the moment is by executing the best weekends you can and at the moment that’s what I’m trying to do,” he said.
“It’s incredibly early so just trying to make sure you get the most out of every weekend is the most important thing and I think if you can do a good job of that, then you’ll be looking pretty good by the end of year.”
Despite leading the standings and winning the opening race in Australia, Norris said he wasn’t feeling as comfortable as he was last season, when he was the quicker of the two McLaren drivers and finished runner-up to Red Bull rival Max Verstappen.
“I’m trying to do the best possible and when things aren’t going your way and things are not working as they should be then I’ve been a little bit disappointed,” Norris said.
“Some of that includes me having to drive in different ways and learn different things and that’s something I know I’m having to come into this weekend and try and do.
“I’m not going to be able to necessarily drive like I did last year and like I know I’m good at. Which is weird to say in my seventh season of F1 but I’m still learning things, the car is definitely different to how it’s been so I’m having to adapt a lot in uncomfortable ways.”
Just starting his third season in F1, Piastri has emerged as a genuine title contender through his skill behind the wheel and also his mental strength.
From just 50 race starts, he’s already chalked up four full-distance wins, 13 podium finishes, two pole positions and two sprint victories.
Even when he makes mistakes, as he did in Melbourne last month, spinning off the Albert Park circuit when he was running second and closing in on his teammate, he never gets flustered.
“I think it is a strength of mine, one of hopefully a few strengths of mine,” he said.
“It is something that I have kind of recognised myself as a point of difference and something that I’ve tried to work on so I think even after Melbourne.
“Obviously it was painful in the few days afterwards but I think the fact that I had such a strong weekend through practice, qualifying, was on the pace in the race, that was more encouragement than disappointment.
“So I feel like the whole season’s been going well and I’ve just been trying to get the most out of what we know is a quick car so it’s been a fun first few races and hopefully more fun to come.”
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