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McLaren CEO Zak Brown feels that Oscar Piastri should be given his due time to settle with the team and the sport before jumping to conclusions about his performances.
Brown was questioned about Oscar Piastri at Bathurst by Speedcafe and RacingNews365.com. The American revealed great admiration for the youngster and felt that Oscar's record speaks for itself. He also admitted that Piastri was still a rookie and should be given time to adjust to the new conditions. He said:
"Oscar's track record to date speaks for itself. I think it's important that we recognise he's a rookie who has spent a year outside of racing. He'll be like anyone else, a rookie that has a degree of rustiness on him from not racing. But he's a huge talent, so we just need to give him time."
The McLaren CEO also emphasized that the Australian should not be put under too much pressure and that he should not be looked at as 'Daniel Ricciardo's replacement'. He said:
"What we need to do is not put too much pressure on him, or get into comparisons; 'He's filling Daniel shoes [etc..]' none of that stuff. We just need to let him settle in and support him."
Brown continued:
"When you come into McLaren, and come in the way he's come in, in between the Daniel situation and Alpine's situation, it'll be high profile. While fans and media will be quick with their commentary, we need to give him time as a rookie to settle in."
Speaking about the signing of the young Australian, the McLaren CEO admitted that the credit went to Andreas Seidl (McLaren Team Principal) for the signing as he was the one that Brown consulted while taking the decision. He said:
"Andreas is the one that I ultimately lean on to come forward with what he wants as a driver lineup. We both think very similar, I can't give any decisions that we haven't both agreed on, whether that's driver or other performance related [decisions]."
He further added:
"It was Andreas who recruited him [Piastri] and had that relationship with Mark Webber. Obviously I've seen him [Piastri] race, know his background, but credit to Andreas for binding him. His resume speaks for itself to date and it was Andreas that put forward the recommendation which I fully supported."
What stood out in Oscar Piastri for the McLaren CEO?
When questioned about what stood out in Oscar Piastri for Zak Brown, the American said that the way Piastri maturely handled the entire situation with Alpine and Daniel Ricciardo was what stands out in the driver as of now. Brown said:
"Maturity for 21 year-old. I've been very impressed with how he conducted himself through this situation this year. It was a lot of pressure for a 21 year-old and he seems to be a tough character."
Oscar Piastri will be joining Lando Norris at McLaren from the 2023 F1 season. He will be replacing his fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo in the team.
