Christian Horner admitted that Red Bull could as a substitute signal Oscar Piastri in place of Lando Norris at some stage in the modern-day season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive.
Despite trailing his McLaren crew-mate in each of his F1 campaigns to date, the younger Australian is visible as having international champion potential. Piastri scored his first race win withinside the Qatar dash race at some stage in his rookie season and additionally recorded podiums for precise measure.
In his sophomore year, he went a step further, notching wins in Hungary and Azerbaijan, the latter saying his arrival as a extreme pressure in F1.
These achievements stuck the eye of Red Bull. When requested at some stage in an episode of Netflix’s Drive to Survive who his crew could signal if supplied the selection among Piastri and Norris, crew major Horner responded promptly: “Oscar.”Red Bull’s hobby withinside the 23-year-antique isn’t anyt any secret.
The Milton Keynes squad opted in opposition to signing him to their motive force academy early in his junior career, leaving the door open for Alpine to snap the Australian up.
“There was an opportunity for Red Bull to look at him at the time, and we didn’t take up that option, which is something that I regret,” Horner revealed to the Beyond the Grid podcast in 2022. “What he went on to achieve is phenomenal, in Formula Three and Formula Two.”
For all of Piastri’s potential, Norris is the driving force turning in for McLaren. The Brit scored 4 Grand Prix victories to his team-mate’s in 2024 and outqualified him 20-four all through the campaign.
This led to an 82-factor benefit withinside the Drivers’ Championship standingsHeading into the 2025 campaign, McLaren are tipped as the fave to win each World Championships.
With the standings reset and no variety motive force obligations to hold out, Piastri has his eyes set on prevailing a Drivers’ Championship crown in his 1/3 F1 season.
“But honestly we’re beginning on a easy slate and I do suppose that I can end up World Champion this year,” he stated all through the off-season.
“I experience like one year in the past I turned into going into the season nevertheless with a few weaknesses that I wasn’t in particular assured with.
“I suppose thru final season, I addressed them; it’s now pretty much addressing them each weekend and ensuring that I’m setting my nice foot ahead each weekend, and that’s what goes to be the difference.
“I’m assured, I suppose we’ve nevertheless were given a few matters to paintings on and [we’re] honestly now no longer the completed product, however I don’t suppose all and sundry always is, and I suppose if we will paintings on a number of the matters that we’ve got down to do on this off-season, then I’ll have a number of equipment so that it will try and make that happen.”
