“A Win Might be a Stretch”: Oscar Piastri Plays Down McLaren Hype for Suzuka After Their Mysterious Upgrade

McLaren are riding high after an incredible P2 finish in Singapore, courtesy of Lando Norris. A few days before the race, reports surfaced of McLaren receiving a huge upgrade for the Japanese GP, meaning their car would be even faster. With Red Bull finally showing signs of not being invincible and McLaren improving rapidly, there was talk about the Woking-based team causing an upset in Suzuka on Sunday. However, Oscar Piastri, appearing on the Spotify Podcast ‘The Fast and The Curious,’ snubs the possibility of his team picking up the winner’s trophy in Japan.

Even though Red Bull had a terrible outing in Singapore, experts consider it to be a one-off event and expect the Austrian team to make a strong comeback in Japan. Analyzing the track layout in Suzuka, the common belief is that the RB19 will benefit greatly, and the team will most likely get back to winning ways with another dominant display. As such, Piastri believes his team might not emerge as the winner at the end of Sunday’s race.

Oscar Piastri does not think his team will be able to win the Japanese GP

The atmosphere leading up to the race in Suzuka has been electric. Following an incredible race in Singapore, the hopes of having more close finishes have reignited.

At the helm of it all stands McLaren, which has been one of the most improved teams throughout the season and is touted to be the race winner in Japan. While appearing as a guest on ‘The Fast and The Curious‘ podcast, Piastri addressed his team’s chances of winning the famous race in Suzuka.

“We’ll try our best. Obviously, Red Bull showed last weekend that they are beatable.”

“I think a win might be a stretch, but definitely fighting towards the front.”

McLaren has had an increasingly satisfactory season, and Piastri has been a pivotal reason behind it. Given the same, the Woking-based team decided to offer the rookie driver a two-year contract extension, meaning he will stay with the team until the end of the 2026 season. As such, the team has secured their current driver lineup for two more years as they hope to continue improving and vie for race wins soon.

Piastri to be a McLaren driver until 2026

Still, in his rookie season, Piastri has been one of the most impressive drivers on the grid. The Australian driver has amassed 42 points from 15 races after a tough start to the season. Given his performances and the dynamic between Norris and Piastri, McLaren saw it fit to offer a two-year contract extension to the 22-year-old, keeping the driver duo together until the end of the 2025 season. The contract comes as an iconic move in the paddock as it signifies teams are open to investing in their future by trusting young and rookie drivers.

 

🚨: McLaren have announced a new multi-year contract extension for Oscar Piastri to the end of the 2026 season.

Lando Norris is also tied in until the end of 2025, confirming the McLaren driver line-up for the next 2 seasons. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/wafRw5fj0P

— Sector 1 (@S1Motorsport) September 20, 2023

While the earlier notion was to preferably have a senior driver with tons of experience at the helm, McLaren is leading the charge to change the norms. With a 23 and a 22-year-old in their lineup, McLaren has one of the youngest driver duo on the grid.

Moving forward, McLaren could even pose a threat to the Red Bull dominion. With two talented drivers who complement each other well and an increasingly impressive car, the sky is the limit for McLaren.