Zak Brown confidently labels Oscar Piastri as McLaren’s future world champion

Lewis Hamilton claimed McLaren’s last drivers’ championship in 2008.

Zak Brown confidently labels Oscar Piastri as McLaren’s future world champion

Oscar Piastri and Zak Brown (Image via Imago)

The 2023 F1 season began oddly for McLaren. Andreas Seidl‘s departure from Audi resulted in Andrea Stella becoming the Team Principal. Both Stella and Zak Brown admitted misdirection in the MCL60’s development. Race results were grim for drivers Lando Norris and rookie Oscar Piastri. However, the upgrades exceeded expectations, delivering surprising effectiveness.

Zak Brown stated that he had every reason to believe that Oscar is a potential future World Champion, considering the current observations. He also pointed out that Oscar’s performance is continuously improving. He mentioned examples like Silverstone and Spa to highlight Oscar’s progress. Zak compared Oscar’s approach to how Lando performed in his rookie year.

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Brown noted similarities such as occasionally not fully connecting a lap or excelling in specific sectors while being a bit untidy. He deemed those mistakes as “typical rookie” behavior. Zak emphasized that despite these challenges, Oscar Piastri is avoiding significant mistakes. From Zak’s perspective, Oscar exhibits qualities reminiscent of Lando’s debut year.

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“He’s a future World Champion with what we’re seeing right now. Look at him in Silverstone, at Spa. He’s kind of doing what Lando did his rookie year: he might not quite get the whole lap together or he’ll nail his three sectors but be a little bit untidy. I see a lot in Oscar of what I saw in Lando,” Zak Brown stated on McLaren’ ‘s official website.

Also read: Zak Brown claims McLaren’s major upgrades signal readiness for championship wins

McLaren’s upgrades propel Lando Norris and rookie Oscar Piastri’s performances

Teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (Image credit: PlanetF1)

McLaren’s first nine races were lackluster, netting just 29 points. Lando Norris’s Austria upgrade-fueled 4th place stood out. At Silverstone, both drivers, boosted by enhancements, secured the top 3 spots behind Verstappen. A late safety car dashed hopes of a dual podium. Yet, 30 crucial points were gained. This upgrade magic carried to Hungary, and Rookie Oscar Piastri’s impressive season included outshining Norris occasionally and a second-place finish at Spa’s Sprint event.

Lando Norris has notably outperformed his rookie teammate at McLaren. Initially, he struggled with only three points-finishes in the initial eight races of the season, facing four instances of finishing 17th. However, following the implementation of upgrades, his performance has significantly improved. The Brit has achieved no finishes below 7th place in the last four races.

Oscar Piastri, in his debut season, has demonstrated remarkable potential. He has exhibited a commendable lack of rookie errors and has even surpassed Lando’s performance on certain occasions. A standout accomplishment for him was during the Sprint at Spa, where he secured a remarkable second-place finish.

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