The future of Formula 1 is in a safe pair of hands. This generation of drivers has proven to us time and again that they are the crème de la crème of all the prodigious racing talent there is on offer. However, with this comes a predicament. In the past, we’ve had a handful of drivers who have shown us that they are the most elite of the bunch. But now, with almost every driver under 25 a possible championship prospect, who will the teams choose? Case in point is George Russell and Oscar Piastri.

Both Russell and Piastri are pacey drivers. And while the Brit has spent a few years in this sport, the young Australian is in his rookie year this season. At the 2o23 Japanese Grand Prix, Piastri scored his first-ever Grand Prix podium. Yet, he still has a bit to go before he can catch Russell’s haul of 10 podiums and 1 Grand Prix win. Or has he?

F1 supremo chooses Oscar Piastri over George Russell

Back in the day, Bernie Ecclestone was called the ringleader of Formula 1. And rightly so. The shrewd Brit ran the sport with an iron fist and gained a $3,500,000,000 fortune for his troubles. Naturally, he knows this sport inside out, and he has a verdict to hand in Russell v. Piastri.

Formula Passion quoted the 92-year-old as saying, “I can’t decide on Russell. I like him and he’s very talented, but it’s about understanding what he’s willing to do to win. I don’t think he thinks about the race, which [Lewis] Hamilton does. If I were a team owner, I think I would take Piastri.” [translated via Google Translate]

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As it turns out Piastri has been costing Russell on the track, too!

Russell blames Piastri for Spa horror show

At the Belgian GP this year, Russell had yet another nightmare in the Mercedes. Even though he finished a solid 6th, his afternoon shift was made unnecessarily cumbersome due to the young Australian rookie per the Brit.

After the race he said, “Yes, it was just very unfortunate in the beginning, when Oscar had his failure, I went to the left, sort of misjudged that he can turn, I got boxed in and lost four or five positions at the start. If it wasn’t for that I would have been P5.”

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In a straight shootout between George Russell and Oscar Piastri, in equal machinery, who comes out on top?