Lando Norris Warned of Underdog Oscar Piastri’s “Innate Talent” as McLaren Brings “Interesting” Upgrades for MCL38

Lando Norris is being hyped to be the upcoming world champion in F1. While he has a lot of good things going on for him in McLaren, a shadow is being cast on Oscar Piastri. While this might just seemingly be the case, Peter Windsor, a known F1 journalist and ex-Ferrari boss, steps up to say otherwise.

Peter Windsor, known to be the Grand Prix Editor of the F1 Racing magazine from 1997 to 2009, was recently interviewed by Cameron F1 where he spoke about Netflix Drive to Survive, decided who is better between Prost vs Senna, F1 Street circuits, and Safety in F1. While the focus of the interview was a general conversation, one thing that Windsor said, has Papaya fans scratching their heads.

Windsor vouches for Oscar Piastri in the 2024 season

During the interview, Peter Windsor spoke about his experience and views on the F1 scene. When asked about McLaren, he said “Oscar? I think how Oscar goes against Lando, a lot of winter talk about Lando…assuming he’s going to dominate.” However, Windsor then highlighted Piastri’s potential and said, “Oscar Piastri’s got a massive amount of innate talent that I don’t think Lando has got his head around, and to see how Oscar now develops in year two will be fascinating.” According to Windsor, there are still things that Norris can learn about and he should not be taking his teammate lightly.

Windsor believes that Lando should not take the Australian to be an underdog, as there is a possibility that Piastri might outshine Norris in the coming season. The statements by Peter Windsor seem to serve as a warning for Lando to not turn a blind eye to Piastri’s talent.

Peter Windsor also spoke about how Oscar Piastri faces problems due to using Pirelli Tyres that end up wearing out too fast. While talking about Lando Norris, Windsor said, “He wasn’t particularly good with time management last year. But then, you know, getting the Pirelli tires to last is boring and irritating.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Lando Norris Evokes Senna Comparisons with Unique Quality, Shines Bright at British Grand Prix

While Windsor mentioned Oscar’s talents, he made it clear that the main problem is the machines that the McLaren team has to drive. In the previous year, McLaren openly admitted that its launch-spec car was not good enough. Along with that, McLaren has only now begun working on their Wind Tunnel and CFD. The drawback on the machine’s end is what has been holding the Papaya drivers back. And with the new trajectory that McLaren is following, looks promising for the 2024 season.

What has McLaren planned for 2024?

While the team made a huge leap in terms of development from 2022 to 2023, the next season will require more refining from McLaren’s end if they want to win. McLaren is already working on further developments beyond the launch spec. These additional gains are expected to be realized through upgrades early in the upcoming season.

While talking about the MCL38 with Autosport.com, Andrea Stella “In the background, we are already starting to work on the further developments that we hope to bring relatively soon in season, and they also seem to be quite interesting.” 

The launch car is expected to be competitive at the start of the season based on the current development trajectory. McLaren aims to carry forward the positive momentum from the previous year. While McLaren has revealed the livery for the 2024 car, the official launch date is yet to be confirmed. Preparations are underway at the factory for the launch of the MCL38 next month.

Read More – Lando Norris Puts Red Bull Rumors to Rest by Signing a Multi-Year Contract Extension With McLaren

With McLaren reaching new heights in development, who do you think will bring home the trophy for McLaren, Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri? Let us know your answer in the comments section below.