After Oscar Piastri won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in mid-September, he moved to within 100 points of world championship leader Max Verstappen. That gave him an outside shot of a late title charge.
Piastri had arguably been the best driver on the grid during the middle third of the campaign. After a disappointing P7 in Spain, he strung together eight top-four finishes in a row.
That sequence included his first two wins in F1 – Hungary and Baku – and six podiums. He gained 31 points on McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
With the gap effectively halved to 32, it looked as if Piastri could finish above his highly-rated partner in just his second season. But Norris banished that notion rather emphatically in the end.
When he crossed the line to win the Abu Dhabi GP – and seal the constructors’ title for McLaren – Norris was 82 points ahead of Piastri. The Australian was only able to recover to 10th after Verstappen spun him out at the first corner.
Norris also finished the year with an eye-catching 21-3 advantage in the Grand Prix qualifying head-to-head. Only Verstappen outqualified his teammate on more occasions (23 vs Sergio Perez) during the season.
Oscar Piastri couldn’t live with Lando Norris improvement in the second half of 2024
Speaking on Sky Sports F1’s season review show, Martin Brundle issued a warm verdict on Piastri’s sophomore campaign. He feels he has the mindset to become a ‘star of the future’.
In Brundle’s eyes, Piastri thrives, rather than shrinks, under pressure. He’s ‘rock-solid’ mentally, which will stop rivals intimidating him.
However, the former F1 driver concedes there remains a clear gap to Norris. Piastri couldn’t live with his teammate on a Saturday.
As Norris tried to chase down Verstappen for the title, Brundle suggested that he found another level. Piastri, the youngest driver on the grid before the imminent influx of rookies, wasn’t able to cope.
“Oscar’s done a great job,” Brundle said. “He’s got such a strong mind on him, and he doesn’t seem to react to pressure, other than in a positive way.
“I think Lando’s improved in the second half of the year, where he’s left Oscar behind a bit, certainly in qualifying pace. But he’s a star of the future, and his speed, his youth and that rock-solid head will take him a long way.”
Why Oscar Piastri is McLaren’s next Lewis Hamilton – not Lando Norris
While qualifying will naturally be the focus, Norris has also shown a higher ceiling on race day. On average, his fastest lap across the 24 Grands Prix was 0.447s quicker than Piastri’s corresponding effort.
For reference, Logan Sargeant had a better record than Piastri (relative to Alex Albon), and even if he didn’t make it to the end of the season. Perhaps the threat facing Norris has been overstated.
Piastri likened himself to Lewis Hamilton in that he was able to score podiums in his first season in F1. Hamilton also started out at McLaren, though he had the machinery to fight for the title immediately.
Norris, on the other hand, has helped Zak Brown’s squad progress from midfield outfit to champion. He will see it as his team, but Piastri, who had to obey team orders during the final stretch of races, will look to shatter that illusion next year.
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