Johnny Herbert backs Oscar Piastri: “He has the right mindset, he puts himself first”. Johnny Herbert, now a Race Steward, predicts new sparks in the McLaren in-house rivalry..

Sparks at McLaren in 2025?
No reverence at the start, neither in Hungary nor at Monza. On both occasions, Oscar Piastri outperformed his teammate Lando Norris without holding back for the British driver, who was chasing Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ standings. Oscar Piastri claimed victory in Budapest but couldn’t secure the win at Monza due to Ferrari’s superior strategy, which allowed Charles Leclerc to edge him out by saving a pit stop while Oscar Piastri opted for a more conservative two-stop approach.

Oscar Piastri later returned the favor to Leclerc with a win in Baku, Azerbaijan, finishing his second F1 season with two victories and several notable performances, such as his showing in Belgium at Spa (although in Britain, the team sacrificed him during the first pit stop, where a switch from dry to wet tires was required).

According to Johnny Herbert, the Australian driver will be one to watch in the 2025 title race: “He has the right attitude, thinks about himself, and doesn’t care about anyone else,” said the former driver and now Race Steward in an interview with *CoinPoker*. “He has Webber as his manager and has shown he knows what to do. I expect a great duel with Norris, who is outstanding in qualifying and has raced brilliantly in so many events. If the McLaren rivalry heats up, the team could dominate the season ahead of Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes.”