26 November 2023 , 12:27
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Oscar Piastri has blown Sky Sports F1 pundits away with his debut Formula 1 season despite having "a massive disadvantage".
Switching from the Alpine junior team to midfield rivals McLaren was seen as a huge risk. But it is one that has paid off in style for the Australian at the end of a terrific first year at the pinnacle of motorsport.
McLaren started the season horribly having not met development targets on their MCL60. But as soon as they began to bring major upgrades in the European season, their drivers were equipped with the machine they needed to show their talents.
Lando Norris, very experienced in F1 now despite still only being 24, has been leading the team's charge. But F1 rookie Piastri has impressed in his own right with some stellar performances.
Guaranteed a spot in the top 10 of the standings, Piastri has put together on of the most impressive rookie seasons the sport has seen. And Sky pundits Damon Hill and Anthony Davidson agree that the 22-year-old has been one of the stand-out performers of the year.
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"Piastri, he's one of those drivers, a rookie as well, he's had a phenomenal season, really taken the fight to Lando Norris, very close in qualifying between the two of them always," said former Super Aguri driver Davidson.
And 1996 world champion Hill added: "He's done fantastically well to cope with all those [new tracks]. You are at a massive disadvantage if you've never been to track against let's say your team-mate who has been there before."
Aged just 22, Piastri has his entire F1 career ahead of him and will no doubt be tipped for great things on the back of this stellar rookie season. Australia's most recent champion Alan Jones thinks his compatriot has what it takes to go on to emulate that success.
"He has done an exemplary job," said the 1980 world champion. "He has done everything that has been asked of him and more quite frankly. I think he has exceeded most people's expectations. At the end of the day, there are very few people that, no matter what they put their bum in, they win.
"Throughout the history of Formula 1, there have been people who have won every category and then they have gone into Formula 1 and they've invariably been superstars or world champions. And, from my point of view, there is no reason why [Piastri] can't follow in those footsteps."