Oscar Piastri ambitious in 2025: “I can become world champion this year”

Oscar piastri is a man who does not lack ambition. The champion of Formula 3 in 2020 and Formula 2 in 2021 wants to add a new trophy to its gallery: the title of world champion of Formula 1. A goal assumed by the Australian, more and more confident with McLarenThe Melbourne native has had a great development in 2024, securing his first two victories, in Hungary and Azerbaijan, and hitting the pace of Lando Norris. However, the 23-year-old still showed some shortcomings against his teammate and fell 82 points behind the Briton in the championship. However, the Aussie believes he is ready to fight for the world title this season.

"We are starting from a blank page and I think I can become world champion this year, assured Oscar Piastri after the first shakedown of the McLaren MCL39, Friday at Silverstone. "We've been working a lot on how we can be better prepared for this season. I feel like 12 months ago I was going into the year with some weaknesses that didn't inspire confidence. Over the course of the season I've addressed those. Now it's about [my weaknesses] every weekend and making sure I give my best at every Grand Prix, and that's what will make the difference."

Piastri confident after off-season work

In 2024, Oscar Piastri has especially lacked consistency: very efficient on most European circuits, the Australian was much more discreet during the American tour at the end of the season. The McLaren driver also suffered in qualifying against his teammate (20 to 4 in favor of Lando Norris), he who has still not won a single pole position in Formula 1. "I think if we can work on some of the things that we identified in the offseason, then I'll have a lot of tools to try to get there [to be world champion].", he said about his title ambitions in 2025 and the work done this winter. Oscar Piastri notably confided that he had worked for a long time on the simulator at Woking during the off-season.

This season, Oscar Piastri will have to show himself immediately on the pace and not lose ground against Lando Norris if he wants to keep all his chances of the title. After the quarrels over team orders and the late reaction of the British team to establish a real hierarchy in 2024, McLaren will be much less patient in 2025 concerning the orders given between its two drivers. Lando Norris, vice-world champion, should logically be the number 1 driver this year… unless Oscar Piastri plays at an equal level with his teammate.

The Aussie will have the advantage of starting the season on home soil, with the Australian Grand Prix (March 16). “I’m really excited that it’s back as the opening round. I’m glad it wasn’t the first Grand Prix in my first season [in 2023], because that would have been very stressful.”, confided Oscar Piastri, who will be the favorite of the public in Melbourne, his hometown. The perfect meeting to ideally start his 2025 campaign…

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