Last weekend, Oscar Piastri clinched his second race of the season and his fourth Grand Prix in Formula 1. The McLaren driver has now closed the gap to teammate Lando Norris to just three points. While Norris has faced criticism in recent days for his uncertain demeanor, Piastri is earning praise for his relaxed character – Martin Brundle even dares to compare him to four-time world champion Alain Prost.
“Bahrain once again delivered a fantastic race,” wrote former Formula 1 driver and analyst Martin Brundle in his report for Sky Sports. “Moreover, Oscar Piastri has emerged as a potential favorite for this year’s world championship. The deficit he incurred after an unfortunate mistake in Melbourne, he has largely made up for. In addition, he continues to exude a calm self-assuredness, besides the fact that he possesses considerable speed.”
Prost and Piastri
“From the outside, it seems as if his heartbeat is constant,” Brundle continued, referring to Piastri’s calm demeanor. Compared to other drivers, the 24-year-old Australian sometimes appears a bit indifferent. Whether he wins a race or drops out early, Piastri is hard to catch on emotions – always focused on his goal. “I know few drivers who can control their emotions so well,” said Brundle. “Only Alain Prost, ‘The Professor’, had a similar attitude,” he complimented Piastri.
Regarding Lando Norris, who made up several places after a disappointing qualification and crossed the finish line third, Brundle was less complimentary. “Norris had a sensational start, but the problem was that he overdid it a bit in an attempt to maximize – he had parked his car too far into the starting box, which earned him a five-second time penalty. Later, Norris clashed with Charles Leclerc‘s Ferrari, but despite all these troubles, he should have actually finished in second place. That’s how fast McLaren is at the moment.”
