Oscar Piastri ‘sees similarities’ between himself and Formula 1 legend with 51 race wins

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Oscar Piastri has elevated himself into the elite category of Formula 1 drivers in 2024. His displays in his sophomore season have underlined his credentials as a future world champion.

After a predictably steady start, Piastri produced one of the most impressive rookie seasons F1 has seen in recent times. That was partly down to McLaren’s sharp improvement, which enabled to score his first two podiums.

But having been the clear number two at the team last year, at least in terms of pace, Piastri is on the verge of matching Lando Norris. He may be 15-3 down in qualifying but the average gap between the two is less than a tenth.

In the race, Piastri trims Norris’ advantage to 12-6, with the Briton shading it for victories (three vs two). It would have been 4-1 had the former not executed a brave move at the start of the Hungarian GP to set up his maiden win.

Piastri’s Azerbaijan triumph earlier this month was even more impressive. He took the lead from Charles Leclerc with one of the best overtakes of the season, and then expertly absorbed 30 laps of pressure from the Ferrari star.

With six races to go, he sits 42 points behind Norris in the drivers’ standings. While he’s unlikely to finish ahead this year after losing ground early on, there could be a mighty battle between the two for the 2025 title.

Oscar Piastri says he’s received ‘tips’ from Alain Prost

In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Piastri was asked about comparisons with Alain Prost. Prost won four world championships in his 199-race career between 1980 and 1993.

He ranks fifth all-time for race wins (51) and is one of only seven drivers to achieve 100 podiums (alongside Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen).

The comparison is especially apt because Prost spent much of his career at McLaren. He won two world titles with the iconic British team in 1985 and 1986 and was involved in perhaps the sport’s most iconic rivalry with teammate Ayrton Senna.

Piastri is ‘honoured’ to be likened to Prost but thinks it makes sense. They share the same ‘precise’ driving style, which may partly be down to ‘tips’ the Frenchman imparted during their time together at Alpine.

“It’s a comparison that honours me, especially because Alain Prost was one of the most successful drivers in our sport,” Piastri said. “Of course, I wasn’t born when he was driving, so I don’t have the whole picture, but from what I hear or read about him, I do see some similarities between the two of us.

“Prost had a very smooth and rounded driving style. He was very precise in his work. I can see that in myself as well.

“I spoke to him a few times when I was still at Alpine. It was incredibly interesting to talk to him and he also gave me a few tips.”

What Bernie Ecclestone has said about ‘magic’ Oscar Piastri’s championship chances

Relations between Piastri and Norris are ostensibly good – a far cry from the hostility of the Prost and Senna days. Potential flashpoints, such as the race in Hungary or Piastri’s aggressive move at the start of the Italian GP, haven’t led to any visible fallout.

But Andrea Stella could find it much harder to manage the dynamic if they go head-to-head for a championship. Given McLaren’s domination in recent events, that’s certainly a feasible scenario in 2025.

Red Bull are interested in Piastri and could give him the chance to become an undisputed number one, should Verstappen leave. They maintain a close relationship with his manager Mark Webber.

Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has backed Piastri to win the title in either 2025 or 2026. He thinks he has the ‘magic’ required to beat Norris at McLaren.