Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok reminisced about Michael Schumacher’s outstanding debut at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix after looking at McLaren’s Oscar Piastri deliver an impressive performance at the same venue this past weekend. Piastri was very impressive at Spa as he finished second during the sprint race. That is not it as the Australian also out qualified more-experienced McLaren teammate Lando Norris on Friday before a mistake end resulted in him retiring on the first lap during the main race.
Despite Piastri retiring from the main race, Chandhok yet believes that the 22-year-old can be a star in the future. This is because, in that one race weekend alone, Piastri perhaps had as much of an impact as Schumacher had during his debut on the same weekend three decades ago.
The highs and lows of Spa. Early summer holiday for me. pic.twitter.com/IQM4cTGL6b
— Oscar Piastri (@OscarPiastri) July 30, 2023
Back in 1991, the Belgian GP helped Schumacher to secure a permanent race seat as the German had only stepped in as a replacement driver for one Grand Prix initially. While Piastri definitely did not have the same kind of pressure going into this past weekend as Schumacher did, he yet showcased his true potential.
Karun Chandhok has no doubts Oscar Piastri will be a star
While recently appearing on the Sky Sports F1 podcast for the mid-season review, Karun Chandhok provided some interesting insights about the Belgian Grand Prix that just took place. When asked to reply with one word to describe the race at SPA, the former F1 driver simply replied, “Piastri“.
He then explained his point by adding, “He (Piastri) established himself as a star this weekend. I know Sunday didn’t play out for him. But same thing, I go back to Michael Schumacher’s SPA debut. It only lasted as far as Piastri’s did at the first few 100 metres. But certainly a star was established I think“.
Moreover, it is pertinent to note that Oscar Piastri has not just caught the eye of Chandhok but also of several others such as Eddie Jordan. This is because the 75-year-old Irishman recently stated in an interview that it will not even surprise him if Red Bull considers signing the 2021 F2 champion to partner alongside Max Verstappen in the future. Hence, considering how much acclaim Piastri has been receiving recently, it will definitely be a task for McLaren to keep hold of him.
McLaren may persuade Piastri to stay with a bumper extension
Oscar Piastri grabbed all the headlines at the beginning of this year after he snubbed Alpine and signed a two-year contract with McLaren, beginning this season. According to spotrac.com, the Australian is currently receiving $2,000,000 on his current deal with the Woking-based outfit.
However, it is pertinent to note that he is receiving a much lower salary than McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who is believed to be pocketing a whopping $20,000,000 each season. Therefore, considering that Piastri is receiving a much lower salary than Norris despite delivering similar impressive performances, McLaren may need to persuade him to extend his stay with a bumper contract extension.
Moreover, Piastri’s current form may not even bode well for Norris. This is because the 23-year-old is still the number one driver of the team, and hence, if the Australian continues to perform as he is, then the Briton’s spot in the side could also be under threat.
