After two Grands Prix in the current Formula 1 season, McLaren is on track to retain the constructors’ title. Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri respectively won the opening race in Australia and the subsequent Chinese GP. With the drivers’ title in mind, former team boss Günther Steiner predicts an internal battle at McLaren, although Piastri should come out on top in that case.
“I wouldn’t say that no one can compete with McLaren anymore,” Günther Steiner said in an episode of The Red Flags Podcast. “It’s not as easy as it seems, because you saw it in the sprint – if they don’t do it perfectly, they lose.” Ferrari debutant Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the sprint race and managed to convert it into his first trophy with the Scuderia. Piastri came in second, while Norris only crossed the finish line in eighth place.””McLaren cannot afford to make mistakes, as there is always someone ready to beat them,” Steiner explained. “But if they perform perfectly, I believe they are definitely the team to beat. And yes, they were far ahead of the rest, but we’re not talking about a whole lap or anything like that. Mercedes, for example, also has good speed.”
‘Piastri has a slight edge’
As for the drivers’ championship, a battle is brewing between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Both are vying for the championship and are determined to outdo each other. Steiner finds it difficult to say who is truly the better driver, though he thinks Piastri has a slight advantage over the Brit. “In my opinion, they are evenly matched,” he said. “That being said, Piastri does have a slight edge.”
“He demonstrated this in China,” he continued. “He was better throughout the entire weekend. If I had to bet money on the world champion right now, I would put it on Oscar Piastri,” Steiner concluded. “When you saw him talking after the qualification, he seemed quite upbeat. I think he is hungry for more – he really enjoys it.” Piastri is currently fourth in the championship, ten points behind championship leader Lando Norris.
