Oscar Piastri’s solid performance in the Hungarian Grand Prix was marred by a damaged floor on his McLaren MCL60, but regardless, the rookie Australian driver managed by former Red Bull F1 driver Mark Webber has caught the eye.

Following his impressive fifth-place finish at Silverstone, Piastri continued to impress by securing his second consecutive top-five finish at the Hungaroring, marking the first time the Australian driver has scored points in back-to-back races.

Starting from an impressive fourth position on the grid, overtaking his teammate Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes at the first corner, elevating himself to second place. He maintained this position for the opening 18-lap stint on the medium tyres.

 

Piastri faced challenges in the later part of the race as he lost ground and ultimately yielded to attacks from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. After the race, Piastri attributed his dwindling pace to tire degradation.

“I think just tyre deg was the killer for me,” he explained. “Not 100 percent sure why yet, clearly something for me to look at.”

 

Team boss reveals damage to car

However, team boss Andrea Stella offered a different perspective, suggesting that Piastri’s performance loss in the second part of the race was due to a damaged floor caused by the Australian running wide and hitting a kerb while battling with Perez.

“Oscar is a guy that doesn’t look for excuses,” Stella emphasised. “We think the damage happened actually running wide on a kerb – not necessarily, and only, when he went off track while fighting with Perez.”

 

Piastri happy with result

“To have the struggles that I did and still come away with the top five is quite a nice position to be in,” Piastri said. “To be racing against those guys, and on merit, two weekends in a row now is very exciting.” He credited the team’s efforts in handling adverse track conditions and car development, noting the significant progress made throughout the season.

“It’s full credit to the team of the turnaround we’ve managed to make,”

 

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Piastri move to Red Bull?

Off the back of the last two Grand Prix, especially the Hungarian result, former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan has made a surprising prediction, tipping McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri as the next teammate for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Piastri, the Australian driver who has impressed since his debut in Formula 1 this season, has shown remarkable qualifying pace in recent events, finishing fourth at Silverstone and fourth at the Hungaroring. Although he hasn’t yet secured a podium on race day, Piastri’s performances have caught the attention of the racing world, and Red Bull Racing.

 

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It’s impossible to come to Spa and not look back at this mega lap⚡️

Lewis’ pole position in the W11 🐐

Magic 😍

pic.twitter.com/CxSGtL8YvC

— Mercedes-AMG F1 News (@MercedesNewsUK) July 24, 2023

 

 

Tipped to move to Red Bull

“The thing that caught my interest yesterday was this guy Piastri,” Jordan told TalkSport.

“For him to come out and qualify on the second row and race like he did, and race against Max… be careful where he’s going to go because I think there is big star quality in there. I’m actually blown away with this young kid, so he’d be one of the drivers I’d be looking at to challenge Max in the future.”

Jordan has, in the past, had an uncanny knack of predicting bold changes within Formula 1. The former team boss has many contacts within the paddock and when Jordan makes such statements, it’s worth taking note.

 

Alonso min games return

 

Perez at Red Bull untenable

With Sergio Perez’s position at Red Bull uncertain due to inconsistent form, Piastri’s potential move to the Milton Keynes-based outfit gains momentum. Additionally, Daniel Ricciardo’s return to AlphaTauri leaves a potential vacancy at Red Bull, but Jordan believes Piastri is the better choice for the forward looking team. Ricciardo would be considered a ‘regressive’ move by many.

Further, Piastri is managed by former Red Bull F1 driver Mark Webber, who played a significant role in bringing him to McLaren. The likeable Australian veteran of the paddock maintains a firm relationship with the bosses at Red Bull.

“Do not be surprised if there’s a seat available at Red Bull, of course where Mark used to be,” Jordan explained.

 

Wolff winds up Horner over Perez replacement

 

 

“Don’t be surprised if he [Piastri] is named in front of the public eye in the future. Red Bull doesn’t usually go back in time; they have a very forward vision. Mark Webber has brought this kid [Piastri] on, brought him over from Australia, and what a revelation he’s turned out to be.”

 

If Eddie Jordan’s prediction comes true, it would mark a remarkable ascent for the talented young driver. The potential pairing of Piastri and Verstappen would undoubtedly be a fascinating combination. As the F1 season progresses, all eyes will be on Red Bull and McLaren for any further developments on this intriguing speculation.

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