Oscar Piastri REJECTS second driver claims at McLaren

Oscar Piastri

Piastri REJECTS second driver claims at McLaren

The McLaren driver is feeling more confident ahead of the second half of the season

Jenny Craig

Monday 21 August 2023 15:27

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Oscar Piastri has downplayed claims in the media that his team-mate Lando Norris is the clear favourite at McLaren.

The Australian driver joined the team at the start of this season in replacement of compatriot, Daniel Ricciardo, who struggled with the car throughout his two seasons at McLaren.

However, Piastri has been pushing Norris for the majority of his rookie season. It could also be argued that if it wasn't for some recent strategy calls, the 22-year-old could perhaps have been ahead in a few more races this season.

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Notably, Piastri overtook Norris in the opening lap of the Hungarian Grand Prix but it was the Brit who was given the option to pit earlier, meaning he was able to undercut Piastri and pick up another podium for the team.

Norris was also given the new upgrades for the MCL60 one round earlier. But in truth, this is quite common for midfield teams who have less money to spend on upgrades.

Piastri's growth in confidence

Oscar Piastri has impressed for McLaren during his short time with the team

Speaking to Speedcafe, Piastri insisted that he has 'confidence to be a bit more vocal' within the team.

“It doesn’t really require a team leader mentality so much if you’re both saying the same things,” he said. "There’s definitely certain areas that maybe we’re more focused on and stuff but yeah, I feel like I’m at home with the team.

“Once you get some decent results on the board, have some good weekends, of course, your credibility naturally goes up, whether it’s conscious or not.

“So yeah, I feel more confident, but at the same time, I wasn’t afraid to say what I felt with the car, and also say what I felt about myself; [if] I felt like the I couldn’t give good enough feedback on the car because of how I was driving. I wasn’t afraid to say that either.

“I think it naturally increases with time and with results and being able to perform but I feel like it’s sort of been there from the beginning anyways.”