Oscar Piastri surprised by McLaren’s title: “I was hoping for a few podiums here and there”. Oscar Piastri admitted that winning the championship seemed like an impossible feat for McLaren.

McLaren back on top after 26 years
For the first time in 26 years, McLaren has returned to the summit of Formula 1, claiming its ninth Constructors’ Championship in the sport’s history. The celebration took place on Friday, December 13, during the FIA’s annual awards ceremony, held this year in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Among the key figures of the evening was Oscar Piastri, who revealed his surprise at being able to fight for the F1 World Championship as early as 2024. He also shared the team’s initial expectations at the start of the season.

Oscar Piastri surprised by McLaren’s F1 title
“To be honest, I was hoping,” said the young Australian, who clinched the Constructors’ Championship in his second full season in F1, “to secure a few successes, but I thought it would just be the occasional podium here and there. I think our trajectory toward the title was much faster than any of us had expected.”

McLaren’s first victory of the season came with Lando Norris in Miami, followed by five more wins, including two by Oscar Piastri in Budapest and Baku. The Australian also demonstrated remarkable consistency, finishing the year as the only driver to have completed every single lap of the season.

“Maybe Andrea and Zak (Stella and Brown, the team’s two leaders) were already hoping to win this year,” Oscar Piastri added during the FIA awards ceremony, “but for me, especially considering where we started when I joined the team, the journey to the top has been much faster than I would have imagined. It’s been a lot of fun, though it’s always fun when you’re at the front fighting to win races. Two years ago, I definitely wouldn’t have expected any of this.”