Why Oscar Piastri is a generational talent

But how did that very messy saga in the summer of 2022 actually unfold? Piastri eventually signed for McLaren but that doesn’t tell even half the story. How did a generational talent end up in that situation? Our third and final 2023 rookie that we’re going to be looking at in this mini series is Oscar Piastri. 

A very messy situation

A member of the Alpine academy, it looked as if he’d step up and replace Fernando Alonso when the Spaniard retired for a second time. However, Alpine were expecting Alonso to stick around for a few more years so had planned to send Piastri to Williams to gain experience. However, when Alonso jumped ship to Aston Martin, Alpine immediately assumed Piastri would fill that void and August announced Piastri on their lineup for 2023.

Ohhhh how wrong they were! After Alpine had made it clear they wanted to continue with Alonso, Piastri had got fed up especially having already missed out on a seat despite winning F2 at the first attempt. So much so, that on July 4th, before Alonso had announced he’d be leaving, Piastri signed a deal with McLaren for 2023.

So when Alpine announced he’d be racing for them Piastri hit back on twitter saying they were wrong and he wouldn’t race for them next season. So after a messy set of events and a generational talent’s future on the line, it went to the FIA's contract recognition board and they ruled McLaren were the only team with a valid contract with the Australian for next year. Piastri replaced Ricciardo, and Alpine were left with their tail between their legs and ended up signing Pierre Gasly. 

"One of the most scrutinised rookies in recent history"

Now this whole situation has made Piastri one of the most scrutinised rookies in recent history, and it’s only added to the pressure that comes with being considered one of the most talented drivers around.

The Australian won the Formula 2 World Championship at the first time of asking, but he wasn’t able to get a seat at any Formula 1 team leaving him as a reserve driver for 2022. Now this time out of the sport has done him some harm because everyone has actually forgotten how good he actually was. During the 2021 Formula 2 season he was on pole in every round from Rounds 4 to 8 and he won the Feature Race every round from Rounds 5 to 8. To contextualise that, Drugovich, 2022 champion, won 4/14 and only 4 poles. 

An elite group

In 2023 he will inevitably be compared to Lando Norris. Norris has been excellent since making his debut and continues to get better. Piastri’s first marker will be Norris’ performance because he’s his teammate and they’re using the same technology. However, could he exceed his teammate? His Formula 2 record is that of a generational talent, and the only drivers in recent years to have had a similar record are Charles Leclerc and George Russell, and just look at where they are and how they now considered! McLaren and Alpine both went to extreme lengths to make sure they got their man. McLaren replaced a very safe choice albeit underperforming Daniel Ricciardo so they clearly see something in his ability. They moved mountains to get him signed.

Aussie charm

And of course he’s an Aussie, cheeky character charisma and bucket loads of talent. Daniel Ricciardo fans used to arrive in force around the world and I expect the Australian fans to come out in their numbers for their new golden boy. Just imagine if McLaren are competitive come the Australian Grand Prix. It will be some spectacle. 

So on the whole Piastri’s talent has been somewhat overshadowed by controversy and it’s not been his fault. Throughout this video (or article) I’ve used the words, 'generational talent', and I don’t even think that’s an overstatement because his record compares to drivers considered the stars of the future. Will he be able to prove it in the McLaren who knows that’ll depend on his equipment, but McLaren certainly have a generational talent on their hands!