Oscar Piastri snubs Lando Norris as McLaren driver names 2 F1 rivals it’s ‘special’ to race

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Oscar Piastri has snubbed McLaren teammate Lando Norris to name Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso as the two Formula 1 drivers it is ‘very special’ to race against.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a superb rookie season in the pinnacle of motorsport last year next to Norris at McLaren. He became the first Formula 1 rookie since Hamilton in 2007 to secure multiple podium results. Piastri even also won the Sprint at the Qatar GP from pole position.

McLaren powered Piastri to his debut rostrum at the Japanese GP with third place before he took P2 in Qatar. The Australian even finished in second in the Sprint at the Belgian GP and also briefly led at Spa-Francorchamps. He nearly got his debut podium at the British GP, too.

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri tried to learn from Lewis Hamilton as a rookie

Piastri is also using his time in Formula 1 to learn as much as he can from Hamilton. The 39-year-old is the most successful driver in the series’ history, with a joint-record seven drivers’ titles, record 103 Grand Prix wins, record 104 pole positions and record 197 podiums so far.

Hamilton and Piastri even came to blows during their closest fight through the 2023 season. The Mercedes driver also apologised to the Melbourne native after causing contact into the Variante della Roggia chicane at the Italian GP as Hamilton squeezed Piastri under braking.

Oscar Piastri discusses racing Fernando Alonso and supporting Mark Webber

Piastri has now told the official F1 website that the McLaren pilot finds it ‘very, very special’ to race against Hamilton. He also relishes his fights with Aston Martin star Fernando Alonso, having grown up watching the two-time F1 champion, Hamilton and also Sebastian Vettel.

Yet it was fellow Aussie racer Mark Webber during his Red Bull years who Piastri supported in his youth. The 47-year-old contested 12 seasons in Formula 1 from 2002 to 2013 through spells at Minardi, Jaguar, Williams and Red Bull. He also won nine Grand Prix in 217 entries.

“Mark was racing with Red Bull at the time,” Piastri said. “So, in those next few years when I was following the sport or getting older and understanding it more, I was following Mark because he was either finishing first or second most of the time.

“And also because he was Australian. He was the one I supported and now where I am driving alongside people like Lewis and Fernando, watching Seb as well growing up, and now to have spoken to those people and be racing against them, that’s also very, very special.”