Being compared to 3-time World Champion Ayrton Senna is a matter of great prestige for any racer. But if you are a 21-year-old Oscar Piastri preparing to for your Formula 1 debut, the hype only adds to the pressure.
The drama surrounding Oscar’s transfer saga has put the youngster on everyone’s watchlist. The Australian infamously rejected a racing seat with Alpine, plotting a move to McLaren.
By rival constructors against one another, Piastri is already under pressure to perform in his rookie season. But those who know the youngster from his junior Formula days are aware of his capabilities.
Peter Windsor, former Williams and Ferrari Team manager feels Piastri’s rise and talent do justice to his Senna comparison. But the Aussie has a long season ahead, one that will mostly be a challenging one for him to navigate.
Oscar Piastri, the next Ayrton Senna
Oscar Piastri is a generational talent like Ayrton Senna. He won the 2020 Formula 3 and 2021 Formula 2 championships consecutively in his rookie seasons, becoming only the 6th driver to do so.
Piastri was a member of Alpine’s driver academy and waited a long time to grab a racing seat. But when the opportunity arose to replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren, Piastri jumped ship.
To make a switch from Alpine to McLaren takes great confidence claims Peter Windsor. Something which reminds him of a certain Brazilian driver who took the F1 scene by storm in his early years.
Windsor reflects, “Piastri’s story is similar to Ayrton Senna. Ayrton wanted to start with a small team and grow with that team and then, after a year, maybe go to a Lotus or a Williams.”
Windsor stated that the Aussie’s debut wouldn’t have received the limelight had he remained with Alpine. But after causing a stir as he did in 2022, Piastri is in for a challenging rookie season.
Windson added, “Whereas Piastri’s not doing that. If he’d gone in as a rookie driver at Alpine there’s slightly less focus on him and slightly less pressure than he’s got now at McLaren.”
Windsor underlines that Piastri is putting himself under immense pressure early on in his career which Senna never did. But knowing the talent he possesses, it will be interesting to see how Oscar steps up to this challenge.
Also Read: Ayrton Senna’s Death Led to Williams’ Decline Claims Former Williams F1 Boss
Lando Norris won’t make it any easy for Piastri
Just like Ayrton Senna had Alain Prost to match him, Oscar Piastri will receive a tough teammate in Lando Norris. And Norris won’t be a pushover and will mostly be McLaren’s Number 1 driver this year.
Lando is an established racer who will be starting his 5th season in F1. He already made a statement by outperforming teammate Daniel Ricciardo by a mile in 2022.
Windsor claims how Norris pairs up with his rookie teammate will be something to keep an eye on. He said, “It will also be interesting to see how Lando Norris handles that from his side, really interesting.”
“I think Lando is exceptionally good and he won’t have any problems with Piastri,” he added. The Briton is known to have a great relationship with all his teammates, and Piastri won’t be an exception.
Also Read: Mark Webber claims his client Oscar Piastri will take time to settle against Lando Norris
