Piastri: Winning First - Sacrifices Shouldn't Go Unseen

Oscar Piastri remains committed to winning, stressing that any sacrifices made for the team must be fully recognized.

Although Oscar Piastri has stated that he would assist Lando Norris to some extent, the Australian emphasizes that he is in F1 “first and foremost” to win races himself.

Arguably the team making the most progress thanks to its mid-season upgrades, McLaren’s MCL38 has proven to be one of the strongest cars on the grid, allowing the team to take control of the Constructors’ Championship.

In the Drivers’ standings, Norris is currently second, 52 points behind Max Verstappen, while Piastri sits in fourth, 42 points behind his teammate.

McLaren, acknowledging Norris’s stronger chances, intends to support the Briton in his title bid. However, team principal Andrea Stella has cautioned: “We want to do this without compromising our core principles. Our principles are that the team’s interests always come first. Sportsmanship is crucial in how we approach racing. And we want to be fair to both drivers.”

It remains unclear whether Piastri would be willing to give up a win to help his teammate in the championship if they find themselves in the “wrong order” nearing the finish line.

Can the Australian clarify? The question is straightforward, but the answer—while less direct—reveals a lot about his mindset:

“I’m here to try and win races, first and foremost. I’m not here just to make up the numbers or be funny on the radio.”

“I’m really enjoying myself, firstly driving in F1, but also now being in a competitive position in F1—it’s a pretty cool place to be.”

“Yes, there’s a lot of hype around this team orders narrative, and I guess there are expectations. But I’m enjoying it as well.”

“Normally, if no one is talking about you in F1, it’s because nothing particularly exciting is happening for you. So, I think the fact that we’re leading in F1 is very, very cool. If I have to sacrifice, people need to be fully aware of that sacrifice.”

In other words: if Piastri has to give up his first place to Norris, it must be clearly recognized by everyone, especially within his team.

“I’ve been criticized for my tire management or race pace, but I want to prove that all of that is in the past. That’s why I want to show I can put together strong races from start to finish.”

“After nearly two years in F1, I’m roughly where I expected or wanted to be. I wouldn’t say I’m really ahead of where I aimed to be, because if you’re ahead of your goals—unless you’ve won every race—you’ve probably set your expectations a bit too low. So, I’m pretty much where I want to be.”