The McLaren F1 team has dominated the rest of the grid this year, leading the Constructors’ Championship by more than 200 points in July. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have racked up 20 podiums and nine wins together for the papayas.
More than Norris, his Australian teammate has shown promising signs of taking over the show in recent months. The main reason for that would be how quickly he rose to the top.
Alain Prost heaps praise on Oscar Piastri
Piastri finished on the podium in his rookie season at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix. It took him only another season to win his first race, the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, ahead of Norris. The young star seems to only get better with time and is fighting for the title this year.
His sudden rise has received massive praise from a Formula 1 legend, who has won multiple Drivers’ Championships and boasts over 100 podiums.
During a recent Goodwood Festival of Speed appearance, McLaren legend Alain Prost spoke about what makes him so similar to Piastri. He said: “I saw him driving in Formula 3, or even before, and then Formula 2. I like the way he behaves, a little bit like me, thinking about when to do the right manoeuvre for overtaking and being a little bit more clever.”
Helmut Marko Makes Clear-Cut Comparison Between Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen
The Frenchman remains one of the best racing drivers in motorsports history, no matter how his rivalry with Ayrton Senna ended. He was considered a strategic genius who knew how to get the best out of the car, often drawing comparisons to Niki Lauda as well.
It would certainly be a huge compliment for an up-and-coming driver like Piastri to be mentioned in the same conversation as a legend, especially by the man himself. The 24-year-old has shown he can stay cool under the harshest conditions, often taking the smart way out like Prost.
McLaren legend admits pushing Renault to sign Piastri
It is no secret that Piastri has worked his way up to the height he is at now. He became the first-ever driver to win the Formula Renault, Formula 3, and Formula 2 in consecutive seasons. He joined the Renault Sport Academy after winning the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019.
His connection with Renault meant that Prost had been witnessing a young star rise up the ranks. Prost also mentioned, “I know Oscar much better because I was the one to push Renault to bring him in, in the academy a long time ago; they did not want to. I saw him driving in Formula 3, or even before, and then Formula 2.”
🏆 OSCAR PIASTRI 🏆
🏆 2021 FORMULA 2 CHAMPION 🏆#F2 #RoadToF1 pic.twitter.com/2Uaf0VScGR
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) December 11, 2021
Prost has become a huge fan of Piastri, watching him from a young age, even before he made it to the biggest stage. The move ultimately worked out for Renault and McLaren, another one of Prost’s former teams.
Although McLaren’s engineers have pulled a massive miracle to build a championship car in such a short time, much of the credit goes to both drivers as well for adapting to the car in such a short period. Piastri arrived at the perfect time and quickly got used to his car.
The Australian also refuses to back down from a fight, even if it’s against his teammate. With less than six months to go in the 2025 season, Norris and Piastri are expected to fight it out until the end, where it will be a good show for Formula 1 fans.
