Oscar Piastri has set his sights on claiming his first Components 1 world championship this season. Although it’s solely his third 12 months within the sport, the purpose seems effectively inside attain.
The Australian driver concluded final season in fourth place general, securing his maiden F1 victory on the Hungarian Grand Prix. Nonetheless, that achievement was considerably overshadowed by controversy surrounding McLaren’s group orders. His dominant drive in Azerbaijan, nonetheless, stood out as one of many season’s most interesting performances. To take the last word step and turn into world champion, Oscar Piastri should tackle two key weaknesses. The primary is qualifying, the place he was comprehensively outperformed by teammate Lando Norris, dropping 21-3 of their head-to-head battle.
The second is consistency. When at his peak, Oscar Piastri has demonstrated the power to problem any driver on the grid. Nonetheless, an inconsistent end to the marketing campaign noticed him fall 82 factors behind Norris by the season’s finish.
Regardless of that, he performed a vital position in securing McLaren’s first constructors’ championship since 1998, a feat that has positioned the Woking-based group as one of many favorites for the upcoming season. If Oscar Piastri manages to clinch the title, he would turn into the primary driver to take action inside his first three years since Lewis Hamilton’s sophomore-season triumph in 2008.
With the present laws nearing their last 12 months, the 2025 season is shaping as much as be probably the most aggressive in F1 historical past. Each driver from the highest 4 groups will really feel they’ve a authentic shot at glory.
Piastri Would Again Hamilton at Ferrari If He Wasn’t on the Grid
Amongst these with championship ambitions is Lewis Hamilton, who’s embarking on a brand new chapter with Ferrari. The Scuderia got here inside 14 factors of the constructors’ crown in 2024, making them sturdy contenders for the title this 12 months.
Lewis Hamilton’s capability to adapt rapidly to his new environment will probably be essential, particularly with Charles Leclerc firmly established because the group’s lead driver. At 40 years previous, the seven-time champion is chasing an unprecedented eighth title—an achievement that will make him the primary driver over 40 to win the championship since Jack Brabham in 1966.
Talking on The Quick and the Curious podcast, the McLaren Australian driver admitted that, as an outsider, he would discover Lewis Hamilton’s potential triumph a ‘fairly cool’ story to witness.
He stated that if he weren’t racing in Components 1, he would discover it fairly cool to see Lewis Hamilton win a world championship with Ferrari, including that this may solely be the case if he weren’t competing in opposition to him.
Ferrari’s Management Holds Sudden Expectations for Lewis Hamilton Forward of His Debut Season
The model of Lewis Hamilton seen in 2024 didn’t resemble a driver on the verge of including one other championship to his assortment. He was comprehensively outperformed by George Russell in qualifying, dropping 19-5, and likewise trailed his youthful teammate in race outcomes.
At instances, the British driver skilled a few of the most troublesome weekends of his profession, even admitting at one level that he not felt “quick.” Regardless of this, Ferrari stay assured {that a} resurgence is on the horizon.
Encouragingly for the Scuderia, these closest to Hamilton consider he nonetheless has one other stage to unlock in 2025. They argue that when supplied with a race-winning automotive, he tends to rediscover his peak type.
Maybe most surprisingly, Ferrari’s management expects Hamilton to tackle the position of their main driver, forward of Charles Leclerc—regardless of the Monegasque’s sturdy performances final season. This perception highlights the size of Ferrari’s funding within the sport’s most adorned driver and their religion in his capability to ship outcomes.