Piastri flattered by Red Bull innuendo but 'happy where I am'

©McLaren

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As the young man of the moment in F1, McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri is flattered by the attention bestowed upon him and by the inevitable rumors that have started to swirl in the paddock.

In a recent interview with TalkSport, former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan suggested that Red Bull has likely already earmarked Piastri as a potential successor to Sergio Perez from 2025.

Since, that speculation has been widely repeated, but the mega talented Aussie, while feeling complimented by the comment, has swept the suggestion under the carpet.

"It's flattering to have those comments. I'm very happy where I am," Piastri said last weekend at Spa.

"It's always nice to be talked about in those kinds of ways, I think my season's been quite good for the most part, I think there's definitely been some mistakes or moments I wish I could have had again, but with hindsight, it's very easy to say those kinds of things.

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Jordan: Piastri a strong candidate to succeed Perez at Red Bull

"I'm happy with where I'm at driving-wise, there's still a lot to improve, a lot to learn.

"I've got a very strong teammate [Lando Norris] to learn from who just by being a benchmark is a big help for me getting back up to speed.

"I'm happy where I am."

©McLaren

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella certainly agreed with his driver's assessment of his campaign year-to-date, highlighting Piastri's strong progression which really came to light at last month's British Grand Prix where only circumstances deprived him of a podium.

And last weekend at Spa, Piastri finished runner-up to Max Verstappen in Saturday's Sprint event following a flawless driver in tricky conditions.

"He definitely deserved to be on the podium [at Silverstone], and it was just the unfortunate timing of the safety car that he couldn’t achieve it," Stella said at Spa.

"For Oscar, while we see this peak in his result, actually, for us it is just confirmation of his trajectory.

"If we go back to Bahrain, we were already talking about his progress from session to session, and from testing to the first race as well.

"I think this is just capitalising on this gradient that seems to be so strong and consistent for Oscar."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.