F1 fans hail Oscar Piastri as ‘the next Hamilton or Verstappen’ after nearly beating Max Verstappen for the pole in Belgian GP sprint qualifiers

McLaren’s upgrades contribute to Oscar Piastri’s front-row start at the 2023 Belgian Sprint Race.

Oscar Piastri (Credits: WTF1), Max Verstappen (Credits: The Independent)

Max Verstappen secures pole position for Saturday’s sprint race in Belgium. The Red Bull driver dominated once again at Spa-Franchorchamps and will keep his P1 spot as his grid penalty applies to the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix. Oscar Piastri impressively takes P2, while Carlos Sainz completes the top three, with his Ferrari teammate starting from 4th.

During the crucial shootout, drivers switched to slick tires. Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez, Pierre Gasly, and Oscar Piastri all took turns leading the leaderboard, but Verstappen delivered when it counted most. He claimed the pole by a mere 0.011 seconds ahead of Piastri.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl9Qu2dULJg

In the second segment, only Lance Stroll of Aston Martin took a gamble on slicks, but his session ended in the barriers. The qualifying session promises an action-packed sprint race at the iconic circuit with thrilling skill and strategy on display.

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Also read: Oscar Piastri claims McLaren is the second-fastest car on the grid behind Red Bull

Fans predict Oscar Piastri to battle two-time world champion Max Verstappen

Oscar Piastri at the 2023 British Grand Prix, claiming his best-ever F1 finish (Image credit: WWOS)

Alpine supported Oscar Piastri for most of his junior career. However, after Daniel Ricciardo’s early exit from McLaren, Piastri ditched the French outfit and set sail for the Woking team. Many questioned the rookie’s move, although his recent form in the upgraded MCL60 has a different story. F1 fans over on Twitter were delighted for the young Australian’s impressive Belgian outing.

One user expressed high praise for the Australian, comparing him to like of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. “This guy is the next Hamilton/Verstappen!” their Tweet read. Another user claimed Piastri will have more world championships than seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. “He’s going to have more World Titles than Hamilton,” they Tweeted. A user compared Oscar’s first F1 season to Verstappen’s, “Best rookie since Verstappen.”

piastri might be what we all thought russell would be
— halfricehalfsoysauce (@kivi_ngx) July 29, 2023

A user also predicted that Piastri might beat Max Verstappen before teammate Lando Norris. “He’ll be the man to beat Max in the future world championship. And yes, before Lando Norris,” they said. Another cheeky Twitter user suggested that Oscar is the driver, many expected George Russell to be. “Piastri might be what we all thought russell would be.”

https://twitter.com/formulaNATHAN/status/1685251075987628032

He’s going to have more World Titles than Hamilton
— Lara Gibson (@laraxgibson) July 29, 2023

https://twitter.com/MV1Le0n/status/1685250998669910016

Stellar performance from the McLaren, in what HAS to be the comeback story of the year. I had my doubts about Piastri at the start of the season but he belongs in F1, I see this now.
— Vermilion Mask (@mistervermilion) July 29, 2023

McLaren has been on the rise after introducing new upgrades in the previous races. Many expected McLaren’s long-stay Lando Norris, to make the most of the car this weekend, due to the Brit’s impeccable skill in the rain. However, rookie teammate Oscar was on par with the likes of Max Verstappen, competing with the Dutchman for pole. F1 fans over on Twitter were delighted for the young Australian.