Oscar Piastri’s move on his McLaren teammate Lando Norris on the first lap of the 2024 Italian Grand Prix has sparked a lot of discussion within the paddock.
At the second chicane at Monza, the Australian racer made a daring move by sticking around the outside of Norris.
Piastri’s overtake was aggressive yet without any contact. His manager and former F1 driver, Mark Webber has explained that the #81 driver’s racing has always been hard but fair.
Speaking on the Formula for Success podcast, Webber dove deep into his protege’s race-craft with David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan.
The discussion around Piastri‘s move has been more towards the championship repercussions for Norris. Piastri’s overtake ensured that Norris was out of contention for the win at Monza, which reduced his ability to make inroads into the Dutchman’s championship lead.
However, speaking about the move itself, Webber explained how Piastri’s racing is reminiscent of the likes of Lewis Hamilton.
The former Red Bull driver did not want to place Piastri in the same category as Hamilton but explained the parallels in precision and composure the two share when battling wheel-to-wheel.
Webber explained, “[Piastri is] respectful, hard [and] clean.”
He went on to compare the 23-year-old’s driving style to Hamilton’s — who has the reputation of being one of the most precise drivers in the sport today.
“I heard that about Lewis in karting that he was just always hard but fair and I believe [Piastri is the same].”
The 48-year-old also believes that Piastri is ready to fight at the very front of the grid. Discussing Piastri’s two seasons of F1 so far, after a considerable time on the sidelines with Alpine, he said, “He’s shown that he is ready to race at the front against the big guys.”
Webber’s claims have been evident in the 2024 season with Piastri taking his maiden Grand Prix win in Hungary. Nevertheless, time will tell whether the Melbourne-born driver can sustain his Hamilton-like skills to emulate his success as well.
