Bernie Ecclestone overlooks George Russell, hints Oscar Piastri is a better fit for an F1 team
Both Oscar Piastri and George Russell have extended their contracts this season.
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George Russell, Bernie Ecclestone and Oscar Piastri (Via IMAGO)
McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri has been generating a lot of interest after an impressive run of results, including a podium at Suzuka in just his debut season. He is currently at P9 in the WDC standings, one place below Mercedes’ George Russell. On the other hand, Russell’s 2023 season has been nothing short of frustrating. The Englishman crashed out in the last lap at Singapore while chasing a victory and had an upsetting P7 finish at Japan.
Former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone recently gave his verdict on which of the two he would prefer to race for him. Ecclestone said that he would take Piastri over Russell. He said that while Russell has a lot of talent, he does not have a wider understanding of the race like his teammate Lewis Hamilton, which makes Piastri the better choice of the two for any team owner.
“ I can’t decide on Russell. I like him and he’s very talented, but it’s about understanding what he’s willing to do to win . I don’t think he thinks about the race, which Hamilton does. If I were a team owner, I think I would take Piastri . He is very good.” Ecclestone told the Daily Mail (H&T: Formula Passion).
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Oscar Piastri thinks McLaren still has a lot to improve on after its maiden podium
Oscar Piastri is having a stellar debut season with McLaren. In just 16 races, the rookie has managed to climb up to P9 in the WDC standings and grab his first career podium. However, he is still not satisfied with his current place, as after the Japanese Grand Prix, the Australian pinpointed certain areas of the MCL60 which he thinks can be improved.
Piastri started the race from P2 but was quickly overtaken by his teammate Lando Norris. When asked about his thoughts on the incident, Piastri said that the team has to work on his car’s tire degradation. He also claimed to be unhappy with the pace of the car at certain points. He said that the only way for him to get better is to keep racing and keep taking in different experiences.
“I think the tyre management and just pace at certain points of the race was not as strong as I would have liked… when I tried to push a bit more the tyres didn’t really let me go much faster,” said Piastri.
Discover more:
- Nyck de Vries admits he is still ‘hurt’ over ‘premature end’ to F1 career
- F1 pundit reminds George Russell of the Mercedes hierarchy after his firey tussle with Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka
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Soham Jain
(222 Articles Published)