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Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes McLaren's Oscar Piastri to be a future Formula 1 world champion owing to the skills he showcased in his rookie 2023 season.
Oscar Piastri debuted in F1 with McLaren and finished in a remarkable ninth position in the championship. He was on the podium twice combined with two fastest laps throughout the season. Furthermore, after the Abu Dhabi GP, he had a total of 97 points, one of the most iconic performances by an F1 rookie after Lewis Hamilton in 2007.
This competitive performance makes former driver Ralf Schumacher believe that he will be the world champion soon in the future. He also feels that McLaren could be the title contender in the 2024 season, battling perhaps with Red Bull. Speaking on the Formula For Success podcast, he said:
"McLaren could be possible [contenders]."
Schumacher further stated that Oscar Piastri is still a little weak during the races, but his qualifying pace is excellent:
"I have to say I’m a big fan of Oscar. The only thing is he seems still to be a bit weak in racing [conditions]. I think his qualifying performance is amazing, he never makes a mistake and he’s always there. So that’s great. And Lando is an amazing racer, but maybe sometimes he wants a bit too much in qualifying. And he could be the one I think to challenge Max if the car [is good enough]."
Piastri is set to drive another season with McLaren alongside teammate Lando Norris. The team recently revealed the livery of their 2024 challenger. Given the development that they had during the second half of the last season, McLaren is expected to remain relatively competitive against the top teams.
Former F1 CEO shares similar perspective for Oscar Piastri as Ralf Schumacher
While Ralf Schumacher remains impressed with McLaren's performance, Oscar Piastri, in particular, has been a driver of interest for former F1 CEO, Bernie Ecclestone.
Speaking to the German publication Bild, he stated that Piastri could be the Formula 1 world champion in the future because of his immense skills:
"Young Australian Oscar Piastri, at 22 years old, impresses me the most. He will surely be a champion."
Oscar Piastri turned many heads with his skilled driving in his rookie season. Earlier, he was set to move to Alpine after a team released a statement regarding his signing. However, Piastri posted that there was no official signing and that he would not be driving for the French outfit in the 2023 season.
Soon after that, McLaren announced his debut with them and he got the chance to showcase his skills in the car.
