Oscar Piastri knows what it will take if he wants to add a Formula 1 world title to his CV. Piastri had a solid grip on the championship race last season, holding a 34-point lead after his win at Zandvoort.
Oscar Piastri knows what it will take if he wants to add a Formula 1 world title to his CV.
Piastri had a solid grip on the championship race last season, holding a 34-point lead after his win at Zandvoort. But a series of mistakes in the second half of the year cost him dearly, and it was Lando Norris who came out on top in the end.
McLaren’s expectations are high again this season, with Norris still widely considered one of the fastest drivers on the grid. For Piastri, another runner-up finish would be tough to swallow, and he’ll need to find an edge if he wants to go one better.
Martin Brundle recently pointed out that there’s something Piastri needs to address if he wants to become world champion. That something happens to be one of Verstappen’s best traits.
Oscar Piastri told he needs to start taking his McLaren simulator work more seriously
Martin Villari was speaking about the 24-year-old on The Red Flags Podcast, and when asked about his weaknesses, he said: “He’s still developing in a way, like it was only his third season. I still feel like he’s got a lot to come.
“I’ll start with the weakness. He spoke about the sim in that podcast with Tom [Clarkson], and he was like, ‘Oh, very rarely am I using the sim for training or practice. I jump on there and have a bit of fun.’
“I think that’s an obvious gap and hole in Oscar’s preparation. I don’t think that’s a strength.
“And he spoke about struggling with braking and being an active breaker, and he spoke about, as well, like when we were looking at the corners on the whiteboard, he said I got to brake as late as possible to get to the apex as soon as possible.
“In Brazil turn one, two, three, again, a sequence of corners where Lando was caning him in both those areas because Oscar was braking later than Lando into turn one on both occasions.
“This is just a reframing of how he views the corners and the lap comes together.”
Max Verstappen’s hands-on approach to Red Bull’s simulator work
Verstappen is well-known for his heavy use of the simulator away from the Formula 1 circuit, and it’s opened up some interesting opportunities for him outside of F1. This year, it looks like he’ll continue racing outside the main championship, a move shaped by all those extra hours spent in the sim.
While this is a passion project for Verstappen, there’s no question it’s made him a sharper driver. Back in January 2023, he told Speedweek: “The days are very long, but I am convinced that this work is worth it.”
Verstappen also said: “I also don’t want a test driver to take care of the simulator work, as is done at other racing teams. I want to do it myself because everyone has their own unique driving style.
“That helps me keep sharp. You can’t do much more than that at the moment if you have to stay at home. And I get a lot of enjoyment out of sim racing anyway.”
Piastri may well already take his McLaren simulator duties seriously, but if he wants to close the gap this season, matching Verstappen’s level of commitment might be exactly what he needs.
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Category: General Sports
