McLaren is on the march into Mexico City. While Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sucks up all the energy and almost all the victories in Formula One, McLaren is cruising into Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix on a streak of four consecutive podium finishes.
Only Red Bull and Verstappen have been better in the second half of the season. And that has some asking if McLaren, which has just one grand prix win since 2012, could be the team to dethrone Red Bull in 2024.
McLaren boss Zak Brown has even suggested that Oscar Piastri, his 22-year-old Australian rookie, has the makings of a future champion.
“He’s extremely quick, he’s very mature, he’s very technical. He’s very calm: all the things that you’d like to see out of a rookie but you don’t necessarily always see out of a rookie,” Brown said. “He’s definitely showing every sign of being a potential future world champion.”
McLaren has already awarded Piastri a multi-year contract extension. Even Verstappen has said Piastri and Norris are the best driver lineup among his F1 rivals.
“(Norris) is definitely one of the fastest drivers in Formula One. … We’re giving him a car that’s able to get on the podium now on a more regular basis,” Brown said. “I think they’re definitely pushing each other hard, but I think that’s good for both of them and I think it’s good for the team.”
Piastri has the team’s only win this season at the Qatar sprint race. Norris had the upper hand last week at the United States Grand Prix when he started second, jumped pole sitter Charles Leclerc of Ferrari for the lead for several laps, and finished third.
Norris was later awarded second when Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes was disqualified for a technical violation. Piastri had to retire his car after an early collision.