Oscar Piastri has long known that the MCL38 could deliver his first Formula 1 victory. After several top-three finishes and a wealth of championship points, the young Australian still dreams of standing on the top step of the podium. Piastri knows he must now capitalize on McLaren’s speed, provided the team avoids any further mistakes.
“I think we’re definitely ready for a win,” Oscar Piastri said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “The good news, but at the same time the bad news, is that there’s always something else in the way. In Silverstone, we clearly made a wrong tire choice, in Imola we had a problem with traffic during qualifying. And we’d better not talk about the qualifying in Austria,” he referred to the track limits that invalidated his lightning-fast lap.
Reflections on Performance and Future Opportunities
“I think it’s good that it hasn’t always been the same mistake or oversight,” explained Piastri. “I now feel that there have been a few good opportunities on both sides of the garage where we could have won the race. After all, we’ve mastered the hardest part – we have an incredibly fast car. Now we just need to take advantage of it.”
Focus on the Constructors’ Championship
In the meantime, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has set his sights on the constructors’ championship. The American knows that due to the poor results of Sergio Pérez, there are opportunities for his team. Oscar Piastri also believes that ‘Checo’ is creating opportunities for the British racing team. “Pérez’s form dip certainly helps us in the championship,” he said. “Only Max (Verstappen) is actually fighting against us. And when you have two cars at the front instead of one, there are naturally more opportunities.”
While Pérez collected only 21 World Championship points in the last six Grands Prix, Piastri took away 83 points in the same period. The question remains whether the 23-year-old Australian can crown his good season with his first victory in Formula 1. He will undoubtedly try again in Hungary.
