McLaren sets ambitious goals for Piastri: 'I expect him to challenge Norris'

Zak Brown is full of praise for Oscar piastri. The boss of McLaren watched the first laps of his new recruit with the car 2022, during post-season testing in Abu Dhabi. The Australian had already driven in private testing with the British team on the Paul-Ricard circuit at the beginning of November, with an old car. On the Yas Marina circuit, the champion of Formula 2 last season was finally able to show itself to the general public in its new colors.

At the end of the test day, Zak Brown was enthusiastic about the work of his protégé, but also by the calm displayed by the young pilot. “I was very impressed with the way he performed during the summer. He was very mature throughout the process, McLaren CEO told BBC Sport. For a 21-year-old under all that pressure and spotlight, he was unfazed and kept his head down. We had it in our (old) car. He did a great job and I think he will be a future star. »

Brown wants to see Piastri “beat Norris on a few occasions”

In a single day of driving, Oscar Piastri was able to complete 123 laps, the equivalent of two Grand Prix on the Emirati track. Precious kilometers for those who have not driven competitively since the end of the Formula 2 championship in 2021. Zak Brown is even pushing to increase the quantity of pre-season tests to help rookies in particular. “In reality, [Piastri] only had a day and a half [of testing], which is not a lot. I think he's going to be competitive and he's going to push Lando [Norris]. We just need to give him time to integrate into the team. »

Speaking of goals, Zak Brown and McLaren have already set a few for the young Australian. Substitute for a Daniel Ricciardo in distress for two years, Oscar Piastri arouses all the expectations of the British team to quickly reach the level of his teammate. “Lando is one of the fastest drivers on the grid and I expect him and Oscar to be close, declared the American boss. I expect Oscar to have a few opportunities to beat him and vice versa. This is obviously what a team wants: two drivers right next to each other and reverse the order. (…) Oscar will have a teammate who is one of the fastest drivers in the world. But I expect Oscar to be able to challenge Lando, in due time. » No pressure, Oscar…

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