Piastri had a strong first season in 2023, similar to Lewis Hamilton’s debut in 2007. He got two podium finishes and won the sprint race in Qatar.
However, his weak point seemed to be managing tires well. In one race in Suzuka 2023, he finished 17 seconds behind Norris, even though he started ahead of him.
While Piastri had some fourth-place finishes in Saudi Arabia and Australia, Norris has been leading McLaren’s efforts, getting the team’s best result so far with third place in Melbourne.
With Piastri finishing eighth in Japan recently, F1 commentator Harry Benjamin is worried that if he doesn’t improve quickly, he might end up being Norris’s backup. Benjamin thinks Piastri needs to focus on improving his tire and race management.
Another commentator, Alice Powell, thinks Piastri might be frustrated with his performance. She said he’s been struggling since joining Formula 1, especially with tire management. Despite his good qualifying pace, he tends to have difficulty handling the tires during the race.
