Oscar Piastri attracts praise from Helmut Marko as comparison made with Lando Norris and Max Verstappen

Oscar Piastri has garnered praise from rival Red Bull boss Helmut Marko, as the Austrian has commended the driver in his comparison with the likes of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. The Australian has been a revelation this season. At the start of the year, there was an expectation that if the McLaren is a fast enough car, it would be Norris who would be on the front foot.

The season started with the British driver winning the race in Australia as well. Piastri, however, has put together a more consistent and mistake-free season.

At the halfway mark of the season, where we are done with 14 races, Oscar Piastri leads Lando Norris in the championship by nine points and has won six races compared to his teammate's five. At the same time, reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen has been hampered by an uncompetitive Red Bull and is more or less out of championship contention.

The Australian has, however, attracted praise from unexpected quarters by the looks of it. Talking to F1 Insider, Red Bull boss Helmut Marko credited Oscar Piastri for his guts and ability to bring out the best in himself. In comparison with Lando Norris, Marko picked Piastri as the better driver. He said,

"Piastri has guts, he's more consistent, and he always brings out the best in himself. Norris may be faster over a single lap, but overall I see Piastri ahead.”

Marko did, however, feel that Oscar Piastri had a long way to go before he reached Max Verstappen's level, as he said,

“Oscar has had an incredible career and is improving year after year. But Verstappen is Verstappen: he still has a long way to go to catch up. But he has the potential to become a great driver.”

Marko unwilling to put Oscar Piastri's team's resurgence in F1 down to just Rob Marshall

Oscar Piastri debuted in F1 in 2023, but that was also the time when McLaren first started its resurgence. A lot of the credit for the team's resurgence is often put on Rob Marshall being hired by the team from Red Bull, but Helmut Marko does not think that is the case. Emphasizing how the results are a function of a team's collective effort, Marko said,

"This is just speculation. He's an excellent technician and certainly plays an important role. But success is the result of teamwork."

Piastri has emerged as the favorite in the title battle this season, and it would be interesting to see who holds their nerves when it comes to the final crucial moments. With just nine points between the two drivers, it's hard to pick who comes out on top, and it could be either of the McLaren duo at this stage.