Oscar Piastri has been regarded as one of the best rookies of this millennium. Well, if compared, only Lewis Hamilton is statistically superior to him as a rookie. Piastri’s incredible debut year surely warranted him a hefty pay hike and guaranteed services in F1. And seeing his performances, former F1 champion Mika Hakkinen believes the Aussie race driver would be a trouble for reigning champion Max Verstappen in 2024.
“I believe that Max [Verstappen] will feel the pressure from [Oscar] Piastri, just as [Lando] Norris will feel it. I expect a lot from McLaren: after a disastrous start to the season,” said Hakkinen to Bild, as per Formula Passion.
Further, Hakkinen also has high expectations of McLaren. After their resurgence in Australia, the Woking-based side grew rapidly and even beat Aston Martin in the Constructors’ Standings. Statistically, only Red Bull and Ferrari were superior to McLaren last year considering how many podiums were picked by every team.
Had McLaren not struggled at the start of the last season, they would have been at par on points if not more. But coming to 2024, Hakkinen believes that the pairing of Piastri and Norris is the strongest on the grid right after that of Ferrari.
Ralf Schumacher, who recently stated he was a big fan of Lando Norris, has stated he is also a fan of his team mate Oscar Piastri
“I have to say I’m a big fan of Oscar [Piastri], the only thing is he seems still to be a bit weak in the racing speed…”#F1 #Formula1 #McLaren pic.twitter.com/v6h9pIbdMQ
— McLaren F1 News (@TheMcLarenZone) January 22, 2024
However, there could be some trouble at Ferrari, as Carlos Sainz is yet to get clarity on his contract while Leclerc’s deal has been announced. But at the same time, even McLaren isn’t immune to the same issues.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri: Possible trouble in paradise
Lando Norris enjoyed the leadership role at McLaren when he was partnered with Daniel Ricciardo. However, when Oscar Piastri stepped in, he made an instant impact and matched Norris in performances.
Therefore, for Hakkinen, both drivers are capable of winning the championship. However, often drivers of the same caliber in the same team don’t do well.
Even by the end of the season, many F1 journalists speculated trouble among the two. Many believe that Norris is getting annoyed by Piastri. In the end, Norris himself admitted that his rookie teammate ‘pushed‘ him more than Ricciardo ever did.
Right now, McLaren is not expected to vie for the championship. The only team that is the favorite to fight for the title at the moment is Red Bull. However, McLaren would be fancying P2 in the standings. Therefore, more of a team effort would be required considering Ferrari and Mercedes would be eyeing to do the same.
Ultimately, McLaren with its unexpected launch has not been subtle about their intentions for 2024. In the end, how things will turn out for the Papaya team will be known in Bahrain certainly.
