Piastri set to make the next step: "Work has actually started"

Oscar Piastri had a fine debut season in Formula 1 with McLaren. The Australian did see team-mate Lando Norris finish above him in the championship, but he did manage to win a sprint race (in Qatar). Moreover, Piastri was on the podium after two Grands Prix, with second place in Qatar as the best result.

"Our analysis is that Oscar's season has just been exceptional. And when I say exceptional, like beyond our expectations," stated team boss Andrea Stella, when asked by GPblog. "So it's about the rapidity at which he learns that I think it makes him exceptional. I think this has been true in whatever scale you take."

"Within the timeframe of a race, within the timeframe of an event, within the timeframe of the season, just his gradient is so impressive, which obviously creates expectation for next season. And expectations require work to be confirmed. But the other good thing with Oscar is that he's such a grounded person. He’s so focused, he's so committed. And if anything, working with him will be more about like, what do we need to do to confirm this gradient? Work that effectively has already started in terms of planning ahead into the winter," Stella said.

Consistency during Sunday's Grands Prix is probably going to be a focus. During qualifying or in the sprint races, Piastri was often fine, but during the main race, he still sometimes fell back. Especially on Sundays, his more experienced teammate Lando Norris was often still a size too big for the Australian.