McLaren boss earmarks star man as WORLD CHAMPION material

Zak Brown, McLaren — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

McLaren boss earmarks star man as WORLD CHAMPION material

Australian rookie Oscar Piastri has been backed for big things

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 1 September 2023 10:57

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McLaren team boss Zak Brown has suggested that Oscar Piastri has what it takes to be a world champion.

McLaren have had an under-performing car for much of this season, but have taken huge steps to close the gap on their podium-position competitors in recent races, and rookie Piastri has really shone.

In Piastri and Lando Norris, McLaren have one of the most envied driver lineups on the grid, and are desperate now for a car that can take them to race wins and turn them into potential world champions.

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Whilst it is usually Norris who gets touted for future world championships, Brown has said that he sees a world champion in Piastri too.

"Drivers that have the potential to become world championship material, they need to have a natural speed which we saw straight away," he told the media including GP Fans.

"Then they need to have the mental capacity, and capability to use their talent. Which in a way Oscar establishes in an interesting way.

"As the car became more competitive, it became clearer that he could compete at the top of Formula 1. We saw this straight away in testing and then in the early races of the season."

Piastri and Norris set for future world championship battles?

Piastri and Norris are two of the most talented young drivers on the grid. But can McLaren keep them together?

The problem for McLaren will be whether or not they can keep the pair together in time for them to have a car that's capable of winning a world championship.

Brown has earmarked 2026 as the year for McLaren, with new regulation changes expected to mix things up a bit amongst the highest performing teams.

However, Norris is only contracted until the end of 2025, when Mercedes will likely be looking for a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, whilst Piastri's contract is up at the end of 2024, when Red Bull might potentially be looking to replace Sergio Perez.

Whether or not McLaren can keep Piastri remains to be seen, but the Australian continues to impress in his debut season.