McLaren ace Oscar Piastri sends message to Formula 1 title rivals and team-mate Lando Norris
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri claimed victory at the Chinese Grand Prix and wants to convert that into a world championship after ensuring he is not Lando Norris’ sidekick
Oscar Piastri believes he is capable of becoming Formula 1 world champion with McLaren, and warned his rivals he is good enough to beat the very best of them. The 23-year-old earned his maiden pole position in the Chinese Grand Prix and converted it to secure victory in Shanghai.
Piastri bounced back from a ninth-place finish in his home race at the Australian Grand Prix, to put in an almost faultless weekend in China after also finishing second in the sprint race too. McLaren have now stood atop the podium in both races on the F1 calendar thus far after Lando Norris claimed the first win of the season.
The 23-year-old Piastri has only witnessed Max Verstappen achieve world championship success since entering the sport in 2023, with the Dutchman claiming the last four titles in a row with Red Bull. Piastri finished fourth in the standings last year behind Verstappen, team-mate Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
That has not diminished his ambitions however, and instead it has only confirmed what he believes he is capable of. The young driver does not see himself as a no.2 at McLaren and, while acknowledging he can still improve, reckons he can defeat the competition.
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“I enjoy being in that position of expectation,” Piastri told the Times. “I’m certainly not in the sport just to make up the numbers.
“I am here because I want to become a world champion. Over the last couple of seasons, I have proven to myself, more than anyone, that I’ve got what it takes.
“I don’t think that I’m at the peak of what I’m capable of, but I’m trying my absolute best to get there as quickly as possible. I know when I have my best weekends, they’re good enough to beat the very best.”
Piastri works with countryman and former F1 star Mark Webber, who acts as his manager. The young racer believes his representative’s influence has been important for him and them team as he can draw on the vast experience he earned in a successful Red Bull team.
“That was not just beneficial for me, but beneficial for the whole team to learn how to get to that level [like Red Bull did],” Piastri said. “Behind the scenes he’s making sure that my contracts are what they should be, just the nuances that you don’t even think about until you’ve experienced it.”
Piastri’s future lies with McLaren until at least 2028, after signing a new deal earlier this month. That may not have happened without some assurance he would not simply be the team’s second option.
“If I wasn’t confident in that, then maybe I wouldn’t have signed this long contract,” he said.
“For me, other teams were never even really a consideration,” he added. “McLaren, firstly from a car perspective, but also just a team environment perspective, is where I want to be. A lot of people would want to be here. I’m confident I can win with this team.”
