Damon Hill questions Oscar Piastri’s career choice, claims the Australian regrets moving to McLaren
Oscar Piastri's first two Formula 1 races were not what he expected, the Australian hopes to turn things around at his home GP this weekend.
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Damon Hill, Oscar Piastri. Images via Planet F1 and Motor Sport Magazine.
Damon Hill, the 1996 Formula 1 world champion, weighed in with an opinion on the Oscar Piastri drama. Last season, the Aussie was the center of attention in Formula 1. It all began with Fernando Alonso announcing his Alpine exit to join Aston Martin. Alpine was quick to react. The team announced their junior driver, Oscar Piastri, would drive for them.
Piastri, in turn, put out a statement, saying he would not be racing for Alpine. This became the main story of the silly season, and the rest of the world sat back and watched the drama unfold with a large bowl of popcorn. It caused a stir on social media. Oscar Piastri had already made a deal with McLaren to join them in 2023. It was confirmed after a legal battle that he would replace Daniel Ricciardo.
Damon Hill was one of the spectators of this drama. He understands that Mclaren’s current situation is not ideal. They were once a top midfield team, but it has been difficult this season. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris did not score points in the F1 Grand Prix race this season. McLaren suffered from reliability issues, and the MCL60 does not look competitive.
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Damon Hill believes Oscar Piastri might regret his Alpine exit
Alpine, on the other hand, has started the season strong. Both Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon scored points in the first two races. Taking all this into consideration, Damon Hill shared his opinion. As per Motorsports.com, Hill stated, “ Piastri probably thought McLaren was the best option, the better environment for him. Alpine is good at the moment – they don’t set the world on fire, but they look more competitive than McLaren. So yes, maybe he does regret that. But on the other hand, he is now competing against the highly-rated Lando.”
Damon Hill further stated, “It’s a strange thing in our sport, that as a driver you are judged on your performance against your teammate. You can be in a less competitive car, but all you need is to be faster than a man who some say is a future world champion.” However, Piastri seems to be faring better than Lando Norris so far. But, it is early to judge.
McLaren has set “realistic goals” for the 2023 season. The team wants to focus on long-term development. Oscar Piastri would have expected to score points on his debut, but the Aussie must be patient now. The Formula 2 champion will be seen in his home grand Prix this weekend. It won’t be long before McLaren brings updates, improves their pace, and gets competitive again.
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