'It's Not Just Red Bull': Piastri Aware Of Strong Competition For Title

Monday, 19 February 2024 at 07:30

Oscar Piastri is optimistic about his team's chances ahead of the 2024 F1 season, and he's aware of their competition.

The 22-year-old Australian is one of the newest additions to the Formula One grid, and he had a fantastic rookie season. In his F1 debut season, Piastri managed to win the Sprint Race at the Qatar Grand Prix, and he was more than a good opponent for much more experienced teammate Lando Norris.

Therefore, ahead of the 2024 season, the Australian can be very confident with all of the experience he gained in the previous year. After the launch of McLaren's new car - MCL38, he spoke what he thinks about their new challenger.

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“"You have to have the optimism that you can beat them. Like Lando said, we got very close at certain times, with some success, in certain sessions. I think, like Andrea was saying, if we can keep the same rate of development then we can be very optimistic."”

Many focused on Red Bull Racing when developing their new cars, as the Austrian team absolutely dominated in 2023. However, Piastri is aware that it's not only about them, but also about other challengers like Mercedes and Ferrari, who have likely also made progress during the off-season.

“"But we also have to be aware that it’s not just Red Bull that we’re fighting as well. We’re in a very intense battle with Mercedes and Ferrari – [we were] especially in the second half of the year. In terms of championship points, in the second half of the season it was incredibly close between us."”

It's clear that the Australian is very open-minded, and that he knows how competitive and unpredictable the Formula One really is. He wants to challenge for race wins, and later for World Championships, and he's aware of what it takes.

“"We’re all teams that have had a lot of success at various stages, so we have to be wary [that] it’s not just Red Bull that we’re fighting, and I think they’ll be other top teams that are making progress as well."”