Webber makes ‘exceptional’ Norris and Piastri claim in McLaren verdict

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Mark Webber has issued his verdict on how Oscar Piastri has performed compared to Lando Norris at McLaren during the Australian driver’s debut Formula One season yet.

McLaren dropped one Aussie ace for another when they confirmed that Piastri was replacing Daniel Ricciardo at the team last year. It saw the Woking-based outfit take a gamble and also have to fight Alpine for his services. But Zak Brown’s big decision has now started to pay off.

Piastri was a risky choice for Brown when looking to replace Ricciardo having not raced since December 2021. He spent the entirety of 2022 just watching from the garage as Alpine’s test driver on the back winning the Formula Two title. It marked his third championship in a row.

McLaren’s risk in hiring Piastri started to pay off before the summer break

Promotions through the junior categories came quickly for Piastri after winning the Formula Renault Eurocup title in 2019, the Formula Three title in 2020 and then the F2 title in 2021. But there was no room at the Alpine inn for 2022 with Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon.

A move to McLaren for 2023 offered Piastri his breakthrough in F1 but pitted the 22-year-old against Norris. The Briton is among the fastest drivers on the grid and made light work of his battle with Ricciardo. McLaren’s second seat was now one of the most daunting drives in F1.

Add in McLaren’s troubles at the start of the season with a slow car and Piastri faced a tough challenge. He would also retire on debut 12 laps into the Bahrain Grand Prix after reporting a gearbox issue. Piastri would get his first points on home soil at the Australian GP in eighth.

Another point followed for Piastri in Monaco as he came home in 10th. But McLaren giving Norris their upgrades first meant the Melbourne native could not show his true pace before the British Grand Prix. Yet he more than showed his skill at Silverstone and then in Hungary.

What has Webber said about Piastri in comparison to Norris?

Piastri put his McLaren third on the grid for the British GP in changeable conditions. He was also just 0.131 seconds behind Norris and 0.372 seconds off pole-man, Max Verstappen. He even challenged Red Bull’s reigning double-world champion after Norris stole an early lead.

Piastri would come home in fourth before qualifying fourth in Hungary and claiming a fifth-place finish. While Belgium saw Brown’s decision to hire Piastri pay off as he took second in the Sprint. Piastri even led the Sprint before a crash with Carlos Sainz ended his Grand Prix.

McLaren’s seismic gains with a B-spec car have allowed Piastri to show why Brown sought to pair him with Norris. And former Red Bull driver Webber, now Piastri’s manager, believes his compatriot has more than held his own to Norris. Even more impressive given his break.

“It’s been an extraordinary few weeks for the whole team,” Webber has told Formula One’s official website. “The bar has been accelerated to a very high level very fast within the group – we shouldn’t be shy about that.

“I think it’s still so easy to forget that Oscar didn’t race last year. I think the start of the year it does take time. It’s his first time in F1, it’s not like he’s returning from a break. He’s been away [for] 15 months and has never raced in F1.

“Lando has been exceptional. Lando’s top drawer, we know that, and Oscar has just held himself in such. Of course, we’re all very proud of him.”