Oscar Piastri has quickly become a driver to keep an eye on each race weekend. Still in his early years of F1, the McLaren driver has impressed everyone with his driving skills, and people started drawing comparisons between him and legends of the past. Speaking to Speedcafe, Piastri joined the bandwagon himself and claimed he was similar to 4-time world champion Alain Prost.
Prost stands as one of the most influential drivers in the history of F1, owing largely to the way he approached races. The Frenchman used to adopt one of the most calculated approaches to each race weekend. Meanwhile, his 1988-89 teammate, Ayrton Senna, was the complete opposite. Brute force and aggressive tactics were always Senna’s go-to tools. Asked to put himself on the spectrum of extremes, Piastri opted to side with ‘The Professor.’
“I would say much, much close to Prost in that side of things.”
Over the course of last season, Piastri became famous for his cautious approach to F1. He built a reputation for starting a race weekend slow and only pushing himself to the limit when extremely necessary. Throughout the 2023 season, Piastri grew comfortable with the car, and his performances kept improving. Once he understood the car and its workings, he started showing tremendous progress.
The fact that most of the circuits were new to Piastri held him back. However, as the season progressed further, Piastri grew more comfortable with new tracks. As the season ended in Abu Dhabi, Piastri felt way more comfortable with the car and displayed good pace.
Oscar Piastri reminded F1 expert of Alain Prost’s rookie year
Looking at Piastri in 2023, F1 expert David Tremayne couldn’t help but be reminded of a rookie Alain Prost in 1980, as per F1’s official website. Prost, too, debuted in F1 with McLaren and was just as calculated as Piastri is now. In 1980, the Frenchman showed pace right away and even outqualified his teammate, John Watson, in 10 of the 14 races. The fans and experts back then came to know of Prost as someone who logged everything and never forgot anything. Hence, they gave him the nickname, ‘The Professor.’ Per Tremayne, Piastri carries a similar “computer-like mind.”
The mental prowess is aided perfectly by Piastri’s calm demeanor. It has allowed Piastri to showcase immense self-control and not opt for risky maneuvers that may be harmful to his race. It poses him well as a future world champion and an inspiration for many upcoming drivers. McLaren has played a starring role in nurturing the talent of Piastri and various other young talents, such as Lewis Hamilton. Having given the sport some of its most successful drivers in history, the Woking-based team has an ever-lasting and positive impact on the F1 landscape.
