Oscar Piastri does not think he has the raw pace to match McLaren team-mate Lando Norris despite leading him in the Drivers’ Championship. With McLaren boasting the fastest car on the grid, many thought this was the season Norris would power towards his first world title. But six race weekends in, Piastri is the one making the early running.
The Aussie has won four Grands Prix already, with nearest challengers Norris and Max Verstappen on one victory each. That has left Piastri 16 points clear of his team-mate and 32 points above reigning world champion Verstappen, as he hunts down what would be a stunning Championship victory in his third F1 season.
Even so, Piastri has suggested that he doesn’t believe he has the one-lap pace to match Norris. The pair were brought together for an F1 YouTube video in which they talked through their predicted ratings on video game F1 25, which comes out later this month.
A driver’s overall rating is made up of individual ratings for experience, racecraft, awareness and pace. For the pace aspect, Norris went big.
“I must be pretty high up there,” he said. “I must be, like, 96? If I’m not… burn it.” Piastri had Norris’ card in his hand and could see that his actual pace rating was 94. But when it came to his own rating, he still went for a lower figure than his team-mate with 89.
“That was your worst guess today, but not by much,” said Norris. Piastri was actually given a pace rating of 87, meaning both drivers over-estimated their figures in that department.
Piastri’s overall rating of 87 put him eighth among drivers on the grid, behind the likes of Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz, who have all struggled to make their desired impact so far this season. Verstappen unsurprisingly leads the way with an overall rating of 95 – four clear of nearest rivals Norris (91) and Charles Leclerc (91).
Verstappen has remained in touch with the two McLarens up to this point in the season, but his Red Bull was not up to the task in Miami last time out. The Dutchman’s pace was on display in qualifying as he put his car on pole.
However, his fortunes changed once the race got underway. Piastri and Norris pulled miles clear of the pack for a McLaren 1-2, and George Russell was more than 30 seconds behind Norris as he secured the final place on the podium ahead of Verstappen in P4.