Ten teams, 20 racers . . . this is the exhilarating sport of precision and speed known as Formula One. Ten teams with two racers each fight for the Constructers Championship with 24 races to prove who is the ultimate winner. All while, 20 of the best drivers fight to win the World Driver Championship (WDC).
It works like this: Formula One consists of grand prix and sprints to gain points. A grand prix is a 44-78 lap race with pit stops, and a sprint is a shorter, more aggressive flat-out race with no pit stops. The top 10 people in the race gain points for themselves and their team championships. The winner gains 25 points, second gains 18, then 1less points from there. Those points are then added up after each race (both individual and teammates) to determine the champions at the end of the season.
Sometimes teams will choose one driver to back in the championship to give themselves and the other person a boost. Take seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes would likely have more support of Hamilton than his teammate George Russell, who has never won the WDC and has 14 podium finishes.
Currently, Mclaren is backing Lando Norris, who is in his seventh season of F1 driving, and is currently second in the WDC. However, I am hoping for a change next season and for Mclaren to back Oscar Piastri, who is in his second season of F1. Oscar Piastri has the potential to be the next big driver -- the next Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher or Max Verstappen. Although both Norris and Piastri show extreme talent, Piastri has the potential, the control andthe mindset of a winner, all while following the team’s orders.
Statistically speaking, both Piastri and Norris had their maiden win in 2024, while Piastri has been racing fewer years. Furthermore, Norris has had a total of three pole (first place) finishes versus Piastri with two. Norris has also started eight races from pole position and only finished three with a win. Piastri, however, has never started from pole position and has won two races. That simply shows the potential and skill of each driver.
Piastri also keeps a level-head through the stressful races. Following the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, Piastri took to social media to show an x-ray of a fractured rib. He had sustained the injury presumably in a race prior and continued to compete without his team knowing of his injury, and along with that, he took the pole position. This scenario just goes to show his dedication and composure in extreme situations.
According to RacingNews365, when asked about how many races he competed in with the broken rib, Piastri said, “Three, I would say.”
This just goes to show his dedication and mindset. You don’t see many other drivers maintaining that composure while suffering.
In an Autosports interview, Rob McIntyre, a mentor of Piastri, said “When Oscar wins, you'll see there's a smile and a little bit of jubilation, but straight back [after] he looks at ‘what could I have improved?’”
Looking at that, as well, not many other drivers are focused on what they can improve upon straight after a race. Furthermore, Piastri has also worked with his team to help Norris gain points for the championship. He is a team player. Norris, however, was considering taking a win for himself rather than giving it back to Piastri after a faulty call for a pit stop. It just goes to show the differing mentalities.
Overall, the fun in the game is the competition, but if you are going to back a driver, back the one who has the most potential.
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