Oscar Piastri has produced some fantastic performances this season as he has managed to go toe to toe with McLaren teammate Lando Norris despite only being a rookie. Since the Australian has been so impressive, former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone believes he is even a better driver than the “very talented” George Russell.
Piastri has impressed many in the paddock as he has consistently been very quick during qualifying. The 22-year-old has been so impressive that he has even out-qualified more experienced teammate Norris on several occasions this season.
Oscar Piastri. Remember the name. 👊🏆
The first rookie on the F1 podium since 2017! 👏#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/KX0CY8v2i0
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 24, 2023
It is just the race pace where Piastri needs to get more experience as he still has not figured out how best to manage his tires. It are these impressive performances why many such as Ecclestone believe that he is one driver to watch out for in the future.
Ecclestone explains why Piastri is better than Russell
In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, Bernie Ecclestone answered who he would sign if he were to make a team in F1. When asked to comment between Oscar Piastri and George Russell, the 92-year-old replied (as quoted by formulapassion.it), “I can’t decide on Russell. I like him and he’s very talented, but it’s about understanding what he’s willing to do to win“.
Ecclestone then added, “If I were a team owner, I think I would take Piastri“. While the McLaren driver has managed to challenge Lando Norris in the team this season, Russell has failed to do so at Mercedes.
The 25-year-old British driver had a terrific first season with the Silver Arrows last year when he beat seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton by 30 points in the championship. However, in their second year as teammates, Russell has struggled massively. The former Williams driver is a whopping 75 points behind the 38-year-old in the championship.
George Russell has been told to know his place
The hype that George Russell created by beating Lewis Hamilton in their first season as teammates seems to have faltered. The 25-year-old is now struggling this season and has also been advised by F1 expert Anthony Davidson to know his place in the team.
The Mercedes simulator driver recently said in an interview, “There’s definitely a hierarchy in that team, and rightly so. You know, Lewis has earned that status in that team as a seven-time world champion, and George can’t argue against that“.
Davidson believes that since Russell understands this hierarchy, his messages on the team radio are much more toned down. The F1 expert believes that the 25-year-old is a “good boy” and “very British” on the team radio when he wants to make a request.
Moreover, with Hamilton coming back at Russell this season, the latter has seen his progress stalled in F1 despite many referring to him as the future at one point. Prior to joining the Silver Arrows, many believed that Russell had huge promise as he won the F2 championship in 2018 and delivered some incredible performances for Williams.
