Oscar Piastri is increasingly confident that he can secure his first world title this year. The Australian has observed that the recent race weekends have primarily been a contest between himself and teammate Lando Norris for Grand Prix victories. However, the McLaren driver hopes to maintain a positive atmosphere within the team, even though he now views Norris as his ‘main competitor’.
With a lead of more than sixty World Championship points over the rest of the field, it appears increasingly likely that this year’s driver’s title will go to Woking. Championship leader Oscar Piastri – who previously warned never to underestimate Max Verstappen – now admits that the battle seems to be between himself and teammate Lando Norris.
“For several weekends now, it’s mainly been between Lando and me,” Piastri shares on Thursday in Hungary. “I do expect the competition to be strong and provide a good fight on some circuits. But whether that will be Max, or the Ferraris, we don’t know. I’m not overly concerned about that. However, Lando and I are in the same car, so he is definitely my biggest competitor.”
Does the Australian, who currently holds a sixteen-point lead in the World Championship over teammate Norris, increasingly believe that he could become the first non-European world champion since Jacques Villeneuve in 1997? “I have a lot of confidence in myself that I can indeed do that,” Piastri continues. “Of course, not every weekend goes perfectly, but the pace was good during the last few Grands Prix. That gives confidence. I am also certain that I can maintain this momentum for the rest of the year. Therefore, I am confident that I can win the title, but it will not be easy.” The driver emphasizes that he cannot afford to rest on his laurels.
Atmosphere within McLaren
With their one-two punch in the drivers’ championship, McLaren is in a luxurious position, but also in a dilemma. The team is trying to maintain peace within the team with the much-discussed Papaya rules. “Of course, we both want to have the opportunity to win the title,” says Piastri. “But the best way to help the team is to also maintain a good atmosphere. We have all seen in the history of the sport how things can go wrong.” The rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost was mentioned earlier in the press conference. “But we have enough reasons not to let things go wrong at McLaren.”
Does that mean Piastri is no longer allowed to compete with Norris? “No, we are still allowed to race against each other. That has not changed.”
