Formula 1 news: Lando Norris impressed by Oscar Piastri's impact at McLaren already
- Planet Sport writer
- 12 April 2023
McLaren driver Lando Norris admitted that new teammate Oscar Piastri has had a positive influence on the team already despite his relative lack of experience in Formula 1.
It was no secret that former McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo was struggling to get performance out of his car in the two seasons he spent with the team.
Not only was he nowhere near the pace of Norris, he regularly finished outside of the points - if at all.
His poor form led the team to cut his contract early and snap up Piastri in one of the more controversial moments of the 2022 Formula 1 season.
Piastri is a former Formula 3 and Formula 2 champion and has plenty of pace to burn, the only question was how quickly he would be able to settle in the world's premier racing series and the answer is pretty clear: not very long.
"[Piastri is] doing really well, honestly," Norris said. "He handles pressure very well, I think that's one of his strengths.
"He's calm, controlled and quick, so he's got a lot of what you need.
"He pushes me more compared to the competition I've had in recent years, which is also a good thing for us as a team.
Ricciardo, on the other hand, is having a year out of the limelight as Red Bull's reserve driver and while there have been plenty of reports that he is unhappy in his new role, team principal Christian Horner believes he is getting his mojo back.
"It was clear when he came back that he had picked up some habits," Horner said.
"We didn't recognise him as the Daniel that had left us two or three years earlier."
