There’s never a dull race weekend in Spa-Francorchamps and every year when Formula 1 returns to the legendary circuit, it has something new to offer. And this season, it’s the Sprint format that’s added to the excitement. Over the years, so many drivers have made their mark in Formula 1 with dramatic yet extraordinary performances in the testing conditions of Spa. and the latest driver to do so is Oscar Piastri. And he couldn’t have asked for a better start to his first Belgian GP weekend in F1.

After qualifying sixth on Friday for Sunday’s race, Piastri looked to improve his qualifying performance in the Sprint Shootout on Saturday. And, boy, did he deliver. Like qualifying, the Sprint Shootout happened in changing weather conditions as well—conditions the MCL60 loves. And like on Friday, Piastri had the upper hand on his teammate Lando Norris even on Saturday. And not just that. He looked like a strong contender for pole position for the Sprint. In his final run of SQ3, he set a blistering middle sector—1.7s faster than Lewis Hamilton—and jumped to the top of the times, only to be denied by Max Verstappen by just 0.011s.

Piastri is undoubtedly a confident driver seeing how he was navigating through the twists and turns of Spa like this wasn’t the first time he was going around the circuit in an F1 car. So after the Shootout, he didn’t credit his performance to his driving style. Instead, he credited former McLaren driver James Hunt. F1’s Lawrence Barreto asked him, “Why are you so good, is it confidence?” Piastri replied, “I drove James Hunt’s car last weekend, so, big b*lls.“ 

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On 16th July, Piastri got the opportunity to drive James Hunt’s 1977 McLaren M26 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Hunt, known for his fearless driving style, is clearly a role model for Piastri because Piastri emulates his fearlessness on some level. And Piastri seemed to have channeled this fearless attitude during the Sprint because it led him to his first-ever top-three finish in F1. But James Hunt isn’t the only McLaren driver he’s taking inspiration from this season.

Oscar Piastri looks up to Lando Norris

Lando Norris is rated as one of the top drivers on the grid. So considering how Piastri has been challenging him weekend after weekend says a lot about Piastri, too—especially seeing as how he’s just a rookie and already at a level on par with Norris. But Lando has been with the team since 2019 and has a lot more experience working with McLaren machinery. And Piastri opened up about looking up to Norris and learning from him.

After the Sprint—where he finished second—he said, “I’m happy with where I’m at driving-wise, there’s still a lot to improve, a lot to learn. I’ve got a very strong teammate to learn from who, just by being a benchmark, is a big help.” 

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Who do you think will win an F1 race first? Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri?

WATCH THIS STORY | Is Oscar Piastri Already Justifying His Talent By Performing Better Than Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren?