Oscar Vs Max Vs Lando.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, AGP.

    2025 has all the hallmarks of an epic Formula One season. Australians are unashamedly buoyant as one of their own, McLaren's Oscar Piastri currently leads the championship. Piastri has won four of the first six GP's and has achieved for McLaren something that has not been done since Mika Hakkinen's 1998 championship year. That is, won three in succession. 
    Don't be mistaken. Our excitement does not stem from some parochial, nationalistic bias. We believe Oscar to be the real deal. His pedigree is impressive. Formula Renault Eurocup champ in 2019, F3 champ in 2020 and F2 champ in 2021. After a year as reserve driver he arrived in F1 in 2023 and his all too obvious racing prowess was clearly evident. We always said that when Oscar learnt how to manage his tyres, he'd be unstoppable. We frequently heard over team radio that his tyres had reached their used by date before team mate Lando Norris'. 2024 saw Oscar address that, but there was still a qualifying deficit. Now that box is largely ticked for 2025. Many may suggest that Lando still has a minute qualifying edge, but Oscar's racecraft is exemplary. Remember Oscar's mugging of Lando at the Roggia chicane at last year's Italian GP or Oscar's reconnaissance of Red Bull's Max Verstappen's braking points at T1 at the recent Miami GP before putting him to the sword? It's not uncommon for Oscar to back off and cool his tyres if unable to immediately complete an overtake and bide his time. This is especially useful when racing Max. He knows that because Max has an aggressively pointy front end that his tyres will cry enough before his, leaving his opponent vulnerable. A cool head on mature shoulders whose starts are phenomenal and seldom makes a mistake. Alternatively, when push comes to shove between Max and Lando, it's usually Max doing the pushing and shoving. Oscar vs Max however, you can't help but come to the conclusion that Max has a higher respect for Oscar and races accordingly. Oscar, like Max, has this innate talent of knowing exactly where to place his car. 
    Six victories so far in Oscar's short F1 career, but the 2025 wins are another level again. He's not won because he was the benefactor of a fortuitous Safety Car or some other catalyst. He's won because he's dominated and then controlled the race comprehensively. While some pundits who certainly know more than we do seem reluctant to endorse Oscar over his more experienced team mate, isn't Oscar currently leaving Lando in his Pirelli tyre tracks? Conversely, after only six GP's, is reigning 4 time champ Max Verstappen able to bridge the gap to the McLaren duo? Not to mention Mercedes' George Russell quietly accumulating podiums and points. With power unit and chassis regulations changing for next season,  should McLaren push development right to season's end to win both driver's and constructor's championships?
    The European season beckons, with Monaco peering over the horizon. The teams usually instal a raft of updates at this stage of the season. Will they condense even more amid the law of diminishing returns in the last year of the current regulations? Let's hope this battle just runs all the way up to Abu Dhabi.        
    

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