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Former F1 driver and pundit Karun Chandhok reckons Oscar Piastri might be going down the same route as former Australian drivers in terms of picking the wrong team. The Australian will make his McLaren debut this season, but going by the team's pre-season test, the car doesn't look good enough to stand out in midfield.
Moreover, the mood in the team seems a bit down, as noted by many F1 pundits who have visited the team in the paddock. Talking about Piastri, Chandhok drew comparisons with former Australian drivers like Daniel Ricciardo and Mark Webber who didn't make the best career choices while picking teams.
Most notably, Webber, Piastri's manager, turned down an offer from Renault to drive for the team in 2005 and went to Williams. Renault went on to win the title in 2005 and 2006 while Williams went downhill.
Meanwhile, what happened with Ricciardo and McLaren is well documented. Talking about Piastri's situation, Chandhok said:
"The bit that stood out for me was McLaren, and I'm slightly concerned that Oscar Piastri is following the trend of Australian drivers making career choices that could come back to bite them. Alan Jones going to Haas, Mark Webber choosing Williams over Renault in 2005 as he watched Alonso romp to the title when he had the option to go there, and obviously the recently well-documented saga of Daniel Ricciardo."
He's a lovely guy - Lando Norris on Oscar Piastri
Piastri will team up with Lando Norris at McLaren. Talking to RacingNews365.com, Norris talked about how the young Australian has shown a lot of maturity. Norris said that he's getting on with Piastri and hopes that he does well:
"I feel like I'm talking like I'm super experienced, I guess I'm in my fifth year now. But it's a big moment for him, so I'm sure he looks forward to it. He's been doing a good job for the whole team. (He's) been getting some good laps in and giving good feedback. (He's a) lovely guy, and we've been getting on well so far, so (I) look forward to it."
Oscar Piastri has replaced his compatriot Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren, who suffered massively because of the peculiar nature of the car. The first season with the team is going to be crucial for the young Australian as he looks to make a good first impression in F1.
