Oscar Piastri is convinced that Red Bull’s reign over Formula 1 will be somewhat snuffed out in 2024.
The McLaren driver was one of the few to beat Max Verstappen this year, albeit in a sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix.
It was then that the F1 rookie knew his team was capable of being consistent contenders.
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“I think we will hopefully have more than one opportunity to fight for victory,” Piastri said when asked by F1’s official website to make a bold prediction ahead of the new season.
“That’s certainly what I hope for.”
Oscar Piastri finished ninth in the Drivers’ Championship in his first F1 season. (Kamran Jebreili via AP)
His British teammate Lando Norris has spoken openly about the team’s potential.
This year, the team finished fourth in the constructors’ championship, just over 100 points behind Mercedes and Ferrari respectively.
This marked a significant step up from 2022, where McLaren was only fifth and significantly behind Ferrari, Mercedes and even Alpine.
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For Piastri, seeing his teammate supported by what awaits him in 2024 allows him to ride this wave of optimism.
“I think Lando being confident is a pretty big statement,” Piastri said.
“He’s obviously been with the team a lot longer and has kind of seen the fluctuations that every team inevitably goes through.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix pole position winner Charles Leclerc (left), Max Verstappen (center) and Oscar Piastri (right) after qualifying at the Yas Marina Circuit. (Marc Thompson via Getty Images)
“The biggest confidence for me is that everything we put on the car this year worked. All the improvements did exactly what we wanted them to do.”
“The direction we are heading in is working and it is a very comfortable place to enter a new season, especially with stable rules and regulations.
“We know Red Bull is going to be strong again. It’s going to be interesting to see what the other teams around us look like next year, but I think we can be confident that the way we work is in the right direction. .
“If we continue down this path and we do it better than others, then it’s pretty exciting to think about the possibilities.”
Lando Norris (right) and Oscar Piastri bump fists after finishing second and third respectively in the Qatar Grand Prix. (Clive Rose via Getty Images)
Piastri finished 2023 by winning the FIA and Autosport Rookie of the Year titles.
It is the best debut year for an F1 driver since Lewis Hamilton in 2007, who was then a regular race winner and title contender with McLaren.
With a season under his belt, Piastri hopes he can continue to progress towards more success and possibly a Grand Prix victory.
“Obviously we finished 2023 in a pretty good position with a competitive car,” he explained.
“I hope we can be the same, or even better. It is the objective.
“I think I have one year of experience in Formula 1. I have visited all the circuits except China, so there won’t be any completely new ones for me.
“I hope everything will be a little more comfortable, a little more natural from the start. Just keep doing the same thing.
“If that means we finish on the podium or even win, then of course that’s what I’ll try to aim for. If that means we finish sixth or seventh, then that’s what I’ll try to aim for. for – so just try to keep building, keep evolving.
“I have clear goals that I want to try to improve from my first season. Just keep trying to reduce them and wherever we end up, that’s where we’ll end up.”
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2023-12-19 22:27:50
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