Oscar Piastri’s 2024 season
The 2024 season concluded with McLaren’s historic Constructors’ Championship victory, marking their first return to the top step of the podium since 1998. This achievement was made possible by Lando Norris’s successes, as he fought with Max Verstappen for the world title until the Las Vegas GP, and by Oscar Piastri’s performances. The Australian secured his first two career victories in Hungary and Azerbaijan, following an impressive rookie season in 2023, also with McLaren.
Class and the ‘killer instinct’
A driving style and personality that particularly impressed a world champion like Mario Andretti, who, in an interview with racingnews365, recognized a certain ‘killer instinct’ in the 23-year-old: “Yes, I think he has that quality,” confirmed ‘Big Foot,’ who had already praised Piastri in the past. “I really liked what Oscar demonstrated, and also the fact that he is a team player. You saw it in Brazil (in the Sprint race where he let Lando Norris pass to support him in his fight with Max Verstappen, ed.). He thought, ‘It’s the end of the season, my teammate is in a better position.’ He gave up the position and showed everyone, ‘Yes, you know what? I’ll let him pass and hope the favor will be returned someday.’ To me, that showed great class and awareness of his role.”
The ‘papaya rules’
Mario Andretti, remaining on the topic of teamwork, also discussed the so-called ‘papaya rules,’ the team orders implemented at McLaren during the season: “They did their best for what they felt was right at the time,” continued the Italian-American 1978 champion. “It’s hard to predict final results, but McLaren managed to bring together Andrea Stella and Zak Brown, which is really contagious. They are in a strong position to fight for championships now and in the future, and this is promising for F1 as a whole. Just look at the start of the season and the progress McLaren made—it’s something to be very happy about, even for the fans watching, and they deserve credit.”
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