In case you’ve forgotten ahead of the first race weekend of 2024, let us remind you there was one team and one man who dominated the entire 2023 championship season, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The Dutchman was flawless in 2023 and many expect him to replicate his 2023 heroics in 2024 as well. However, the one team that impressed the most in the second half of the season will want to dethrone the reigning champions. At least this is what Oscar Piastri is aiming for in his second year in the sport.

The rookie was a sensation in 2023 and even secured a win ahead of Verstappen in Qatar in the Sprint race. Piastri suffered a slow start but enjoyed a sensational second half. Now that the rookie tag is off, he will have to shoulder a lot more responsibilities, and by the sound of it, he is prepared. He made it evident with his confident statement in his latest interview with BBC Sport on YouTube when asked, “What are you expecting from this McLaren car this year?” 

He said, “Hopefully we can start the season where we finished last year. That would be a good starting point but of course, we don’t want to just be second or third best. We want to become the best. We can really start taking the fight to the top teams, especially Red Bull who were so strong last season. So hopefully we can close that gap a little bit, certainly at the start of the year, that would be good, and as the year goes on if we can continue our upgrade development like we did last year, I think we’ll be in really good shape.”

Read More: “Cool-Headed & Humble” Oscar Piastri Impresses F1 Champ With Max Verstappen-Like Qualities

The young Australian is already pipped to be the next Verstappen by many because of his cool and ruthless demeanor on the track. He is also predicted to be Verstappen’s long-term arch-nemesis and the driver who would dethrone him. This is the prediction and not just because of his qualities on the track, it’s also because of his conduct off of it.

Peter Windsor levies huge praise on Oscar Piastri for his desire to learn from his fellow drivers like Max Verstappen

Every F1 driver shares a common trait of heightened self-belief. No matter who you are and how many years of experience you have under your belt, there is always a sense of belief in every F1 driver that they are the best.

This mentality sometimes stops young drivers from making the most of their surroundings and learning from more experienced drivers. Not many accept there are superior drivers on the grid and use that as an advantage. However, not Piastri! F1 veteran expert Peter Windsor pointed out how he has noticed Piastri learn from his surroundings, especially Verstappen’s driving style.

He revealed, “I think he’s got shorter corners than Lando and I think he’s a little bit more self-critical in terms of his driving technique than Lando. Possibly because this is his rookie season and he’s trying to learn everything he can. But the reality is there aren’t many drivers these days that go around watching other drivers and learning from them and he does watch Max very closely learn from him. I think it’s an incredibly positive thing and beyond that, he’s got everything.”

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This is the observation of one man watching from a distance. However, if it’s true, we might be witnessing the next multiple-world champion in Formula 1. If his previous comments are anything to go by, he surely has the ambition. Let’s hope he can get his hands on a capable car as well.