Martin Brundle QUESTIONS McLaren's Oscar Piastri treatment as Lando Norris celebrates successive F1 podiums

Oscar Piastri

Brundle QUESTIONS McLaren's Piastri treatment as Norris celebrates successive F1 podiums

Oscar Piastri continues to impress in his rookie F1 season, recording successive top-five finishes off the back of the Hungarian Grand Prix

Harry Smith

Tuesday 25 July 2023 11:57

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Sky Sports F1 pundit and co-commentator Martin Brundle has claimed that Australian rookie Oscar Piastri was "born to be at the front of F1 races", but voiced his surprise at the preferential treatment given to his team-mate in Hungary.

The 22-year-old qualified in P4 ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend before picking up two positions in as many corners when the lights went out.

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Piastri was sitting pretty in P2 for the opening stint, comfortably fending off McLaren team-mate Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton behind him.

Unfortunately for the young Aussie, Norris was given preferential treatment in the pit stops, allowing him to jump Piastri.

Piastri would finish the race in P5 behind Hamilton and the charging Sergio Perez, but impressed again with the maturity with which he drove.

Piastri "born to be at the front"

Brundle expressed his admiration for the performances of both McLaren drivers at the Hungaroring in his most recent column for Sky Sports.

"Shadowing him [Norris], and even leading him for a while, was rookie Piastri who once again looked as if he was born to be at the front of F1 races.

Oscar Piastri produced another mature drive at the Hungaroring

"He sneaked perfectly past Hamilton and Norris in the first corner when they were consigned to a wider line and even looked as if he may take the lead.

Brundle then expressed his surprise over the preferential treatment given to Norris in the first round of pit stops, which allowed the Briton to leapfrog his team-mate in the battle for P2.

"Team Piastri will have been surprised that Norris was given the first pit stop and undercut opportunity which swapped the McLarens around.

"Norris thereafter looked faster anyway and this was compounded when Piastri ran wide in Turn Two fighting with Perez and damaged his floor. The stewards looked at the incident and, in my view, quite rightly took no further action.

"Oscar's manager, the ever-pragmatic and no-nonsense Mark Webber, will I suspect be advising him to pick his battles more carefully and not fight the impossible.

"McLaren have a fine and future-proof line-up there if they can keep them both."