“He is the Real Deal”: David Croft Believes Young F1 Driver Will Become World Champion Despite Fierce Competition

Oscar Piastri piqued everyone’s interest when he won the F2 championship in his rookie season. Initially, Alpine felt fortunate to have a potential world-class talent under their desk.

However, in 2022, Mclaren steadily poached the Australian race driver and hired his services. But, in return, they haven’t been able to provide him with a car that can even fight for the points regularly.

Though, Piastri‘s home Grand Prix came in as a saving grace. After multiple DNFs, the 22-year-old picked four points from the race, but his rookie year in F1 has started on rocky terms—something he wouldn’t have wished for himself.

David Croft sees a new world champion in Oscar Piastri

Surely Piastri excitement is genuine. The rookie F1 driver has managed to dominate every feeder series he has stepped in and is believed to have some incredible raw pace.

For the renowned F1 commentator David Croft, Piastri is in the league of Charles Leclerc and George Russell, who are already the big shots in the sport. According to him, the young McLaren driver could one day even win the championship.

“In the years to come we will see some fine performances from this man. He looks a champion in the making to be honest and has done for some time now,” said Croft.

Incredible pair; underwhelming car

McLaren is fortunate to have a solid pair in Lando Norris and Piastri. Both have been now touted to be the future world champions. While Piastri has just entered the F1 game, Norris is already a proven driver on the grid.

However, ever since the new regulations have arrived, the Woking-based team has failed to give a car capable of bringing consistent results. So, no matter how good the drivers are, they need a good car to optimize their potential fully.

Currently, McLaren stands at P5 on the table. But have a fragile lead against the teams below them. A string of poor performances can bring them back to the tail of the standings, and the hierarchy at McLaren wouldn’t want that to happen.

Amidst all this, several reports claim that teams with better title prospects could poach Norris. However, team boss Zak Brown is confident that the Brit race driver believes in the team’s aspirations and would stay to achieve them.