SUMMARY
- Oscar Piastri had one of the best rookie seasons for a F1 driver.
- Bernie Collins thinks Piastri is capable fo beating his teammate, Lando Norris in 2024.
There is no doubt that Oscar Piastri is one of the most promising rookies to come into F1. In his rookie season, has was able to achieve podiums, win a race, battle against his teammate, Lando Norris for track positions, and much more.
During the FIA prize-giving ceremony, Piastri received the award for Rookie of the Year. This is the second time he received this award. The last time was after the 2021 season for winning the F2 Championship in his rookie season.
Oscar Piastri predicted to be better than Lando Norris in 2024
Following his impressive performances in 2023, former F1 strategist, Bernie Collins thinks that Oscar Piastri can be better than Lando Norris in 2024.
“I interviewed him in Japan, I think it was.” Bernie Collins said.
“And in Japan, he came out and said the only thing he needs to work on is race pace.
“He was very honest with that interview, which I was quite surprised by, but that is it. When you look at the races he’s had through the year, Norris has beaten him in that long-run race pace, how he’s holding onto the tires through the stint.
Bernie Collins reckons Oscar Piastri’s upward trajectory will be even more impressive in 2024… #F1 https://t.co/fEz45PXmXy
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) December 26, 2023
“But the fact that Oscar, very early in the year, was fit to identify that and is working on that, he can spend the winter going through the races where Norris beat him and what he can do to improve his driving, and what he can learn from Norris’ driving.
“I have no doubt that next year, he’ll be even stronger again.
“He’s really asking questions of the team because he’s really standing up to Norris I think a lot more than others did.”
Generally, F1 rookies take at least a year to get used to the F1 cars. As a result, they have a slow, but educating year in F1. If the 2023 season was slow for Piastri, one could only imagine how good the Aussie can get in the coming seasons.
Lando Norris has been the star driver for McLaren so far. However, if Oscar is able to beat Lando in 2024, the team’s priorities could shift. This could lead to Lando Norris leaving McLaren in the future. Piastri could be the driver to beat Max Verstappen in the future.
Will McLaren take the challenge to Red Bull in 2024?
When the 2023 season started, no one could have imagined that McLaren was capable of taking the fight to Red Bull. However, halfway through the 2023 season, the team made some incredible strides in performance. Pretty soon, they started challenging top teams and drivers for podiums. They were even able to scare Red Bull at times for race wins.
“I look forward to how we can go into a winter and be better prepared for 2024”
Lando Norris is excited about the recent technical changes at McLaren#F1https://t.co/PPLnEPy7iG
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 14, 2023
Suddenly, McLaren became the closest competitor to Red Bull. This has made McLaren’s dream of winning a Championship in 2024 incredibly possible. If McLaren are able to make similar strides in the next few weeks in their factory, they will be able to challenge Max Verstappen and Red Bull for the Championship.
Based on last season’s performances, Lando Norris will have the best chance to win a Championship in 2024 if the team are able to build a proper car. Although Bernie Collins thinks that Oscar can defeat Lando in 2024, it is doubtful that he will be able to do it right away on a consistent basis. But he will develop as a driver in the coming months and will be a top driver soon.