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Mark Webber impressed by McLaren F1 driver Oscar Piastri

Webber shocked by Piastri's standards: 'He didn't bloody race for months!'

5 September at 16:00
  • Jeroen Immink

Oscar Piastri regularly competes at the front of the Formula 1 grid. The Australian driving for McLaren finished second at the Italian Grand Prix, thanks in part to a brilliant overtaking move on teammate Lando Norris. Former Formula 1 driver and Piastri's manager, Mark Webber, praised his pupil.

Webber: 'He hadn't raced for 15 f*****g months!'

Piastri debuted in Formula 1 in 2023 and has progressed. Piastri is taking advantage of McLaren's MCL38's performance level. He has finished on the podium in three of the last four races. Webber saw from an early age that Piastri had a lot of potential. “Oscar through his junior categories has been exceptional," Webber said in David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan's Formula For Success podcast.

"He entered F1 with a 15 month break. He didn't bloody race for a long time. It was tough. You have to continue to practice your trade and he had that gap," the former Red Bull driver added.

"It's a big step, we know that. But he has shown that he is ready to race at the front with the big guys. Respectful, hard and clean," concluded a laudatory Webber.

Before the summer break, Piastri managed to secure his first Formula 1 victory. He crossed the finish line at the Hungarian Grand Prix though it looked in doubt for several laps as Norris didn't immediately respond to team orders about swapping the order. He is currently fourth in the standings and is contributing to McLaren's push to become Constructors' Champions.

This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton

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