Oscar Piastri Feels “Much Close to Prost” in Competitive McLaren Setup

Over the years, McLaren has had some of the most iconic drivers to pilot their cars in Formula 1. Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna are classic examples of McLaren legends. The two drivers shared a fierce competitiveness, which was displayed on the tracks quite often. Even the record-holding, Lewis Hamilton, won his first Formula One World Championship title with McLaren.

Now, with such a strong legacy to support, drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have the responsibility to bring the team back to the top of the pecking order. During a recent interview, when Oscar Piastri was asked about which McLaren legend he resonates with more, the 22-year-old’s reply will shock you.

Alain Prost over Ayrton Senna for Oscar Piastri

After the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri came forth to talk to Speedcafe where he was asked which McLaren legend is he more influenced by. In the question that put Alain Prost against Ayrton Senna, the Australian driver said, “I would say much, much close to Prost in that side of things.” This might come off as a surprise as Senna was the more accomplished driver compared to Prost.

Explaining his choice, he stated, “I think with the amount of downforce we have on the cars these days, I think you have to drive them quite straight.” Ayrton Senna was known for his aggressive steering maneuvers and rapid overtaking tactics. According to Piastri, this is difficult to pull off anymore because of how the downforce requires the car to remain stable and driven smoothly.

Further mentioning “And with the tires we have as well, they just don’t like being sideways, so you have to always adapt to what you’ve got around you.” Oscar Piastri explained how his style is similar to Alain Prost‘s and said, “For me, that’s how I tried to look at my driving style. I think I have a natural way of driving a car, let’s say, but I feel like one of my strengths is being able to adapt to different cars quite quickly.”

After comparing Formula One to other areas of motorsports, Oscar Piastri says that F2 suited him more. The McLaren driver concluded, “In F1, there’s certain characteristics that are nice and some that are not so nice, but you’ve got to be able to drive with all of them.” However, while we look at Oscar Piastri compared to Alain Prost, there are still many things that the young driver has to achieve before he is known with respect to the legend that the 80s driver has achieved.

What puts Alain Prost into the top drivers the sport has ever seen?

Alain Prost, who is more famously known as The Professor, is one of the most reputed drivers known to the sport. The 4-time world champion was known as the most successful driver of his time, with 51 Grand Prix victories under his belt. Besides this, he has had 33 pole position starts and finished with 106 podiums. These records put him up against his biggest rival, Ayrton Senna.

But beyond his experience as a racing driver, The Professor also made a debut as a team boss as he introduced the ‘Prost Grand Prix’ into F1 in 1997. The former F1 driver bought out the Ligier team, which was owned by Flavio Briatore and raced for 5 seasons in F1. However, the team was short on finances and sold the team before the 2002 season.

That being said, Alain Prost is a figure that the sport will never forget and Oscar Piastri is on the path to showcase the world his talents while being inspired by the driving style of the Professor. Do you think Oscar Piastri will make it big in Formula One, or will the more popular Lando Norris overshadow him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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