With an impressive debut season in Formula One, Piastri has surpassed struggling fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo as the local favorite and now carries the hopes of his country for Grand Prix success. And there is no better place to achieve it than on home turf, also known as Albert Park this weekend.
In his latest column for Unibet, former double F1 World Champion and McLaren icon Hakkinen predicts positive outcomes for his former team in Melbourne: “McLaren does not have any major upgrades planned until May, but both Norris and Piastri were at the factory last week, analyzing the data from Bahrain and Jeddah.
“They are aware of the car’s strengths and weaknesses, and I anticipate Oscar producing something extraordinary on his home circuit. He is highly motivated,” revealed Hakkien.
Last year at his home race, Piastri failed to advance from Q3, but in the race, he demonstrated his determination and resilience by climbing from P16 to P8. This was achieved in a McLaren that was far inferior to the one he currently possesses at this early stage of the current season.
Hakkinen’s optimism continued: “The great aspect of McLaren is that Oscar and Lando push each other, contributing to the team’s ability to maximize its potential. This means that when Oscar arrives in Melbourne with the aim of achieving a strong result in front of his home crowd.”
“Lando will be giving his all to ensure that he also shines. A solid points finish is within reach, and a podium finish is possible if Ferrari or Red Bull have a less-than-perfect weekend,” explained the 55 Flying Finn.
Regarding the team hierarchy after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, prior to Round 3 in Australia, Hakkinen ventured: “We are only two races into the season, but it is already evident that the 10 teams can be divided into two groups:
“With Red Bull Racing still the team to beat, it is up to Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin to challenge Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Only one other team has scored a point so far, with Nico Hulkenberg securing one point for Haas with a 10th-place finish in Jeddah,” observed Hakkinen.
Red Bull, with 87 points, currently leads the 2024 F1 Constructors’ Championship standings after their one-two finishes in the first two races of the season. Ferrari is in second place with 40 points, and McLaren is in third place with 22 points. However, it is still early days in this 24-round F1 title race.
In relation to the troubles at Mercedes, Hakkinen believed: “For the third consecutive year, Mercedes is acknowledging a difficulty with its vehicle, which is unfortunate news for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. We are aware of the challenges involved in resolving fundamental issues.
“The team’s objective for this year was to achieve speed and consistency, even though they understood that catching up to Red Bull would be challenging. However, Lewis is now expressing a lack of confidence in the car,” explained Hakkinen, who has won 20 Grand Prix races.
This weekend, the Australian Grand Prix will take place at Albert Park for the 27th time. The track has its dangers, as there have been several significant accidents at the venue over the years, including Fernando Alonso’s astonishing crash during the 2016 race.
Therefore, Hakkinen has a cautionary message for Formula 1 drivers this weekend: “Albert Park has uneven sections and the track’s condition evolves throughout the weekend. Regardless of the organizers’ preparations, Formula 1 cars will progressively go faster as they lay down more rubber on the track’s surface and clear away the debris.
“This phenomenon is also observed on permanent tracks, but the low grip in Melbourne can pose problems during practice sessions, and if a driver makes a mistake, the walls are waiting. This suggests that a safety car or two may be deployed during Sunday’s Grand Prix,” concluded Hakkinen.