F1 News: McLaren Confident They Will Still Have Great Performance With Rookie Oscar Piastri
The McLaren F1 team is excited to begin the 2023 season with a new driver line-up, after parting ways with Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo. The team has signed rookie driver Oscar Piastri to drive alongside Lando Norris. Despite Piastri’s lack of Formula One experience, the team’s new principal, Andrea Stella, is confident in the team’s development for the upcoming season.
Stella explained that having continuity with Norris, who has been with the team for several years, will provide a reference point for Piastri. He said, “I think the important point is to have continuity with Lando, he keeps the kind of reference. And it’s a reference that we know very well, because we have gone through the development of Lando together with him.” Norris has proven to be a consistent and competitive driver, and the team believes that Piastri will be able to learn from him and improve his own performance.
Another advantage for the team is that Formula One relies heavily on numbers, which will provide a good idea of the team’s competitiveness. Stella noted that “In F1, you pretty much get a very good idea from the numbers, what your competitiveness is. With the drivers, you deal with subtleties, the final percentage of your performance, so I wouldn’t be too scared.” This means that even though Piastri may not have as much experience as some of his competitors, the team will still be able to measure his performance and make adjustments as necessary.
The new team principal, who was promoted after Andreas Seidl left for Sauber, also stated that he believes Piastri is a talented driver and that the team will provide him with the necessary references to find his own way. He said, “The journey we want to take with Oscar is also an independent journey. He’s certainly very talented. And we want him to use his references, references from the car, references even from what we learned with Daniel and so on.” The team will be working closely with Piastri to help him understand the car and improve his performance.
Furthermore, the team is also preparing a new car for the upcoming season and they are aiming to improve some of the things that they have identified as weaknesses in the past. Stella said “We will have a new car, we want to improve some of the things, and drivers are certainly important in relation to that.” The team will be looking to optimise the car for both of its drivers and to use their feedback to improve the car’s performance.
In conclusion, Andrea Stella is confident that the team’s new driver, Oscar Piastri, will not hold them back in the 2023 season. The team has confidence in the new young driver and believes he has enough talent to make a difference in the upcoming season. The team will be looking to improve in the coming season, and the drivers will play a crucial role in that. With the combination of a new car, a talented rookie and a consistent driver, McLaren is aiming to be a strong competitor in the coming season.
