Webber: Piastri’s manoeuvre was a confirmation of skill

After the Italian Grand Prix there was a lot of talk that victory at Monza went to Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, because shortly after the start Oscar Piastri unexpectedly attacked his teammate, who was leading at that time, Lando Norris, and went ahead of him.

Leclerc had an excellent insight into that situation and we talked in detail about how the further events unfolded. But the consequences of Piastri’s move could be seen later if Norris falls just a few points short of beating Max Verstappen for the title. Let’s not forget that Lando took third place in Monza, although he could easily have won, especially since he started from pole.

But Mark Webber, the former Formula 1 driver and now Piastri’s manager, insists that the overtaking at the Roggia chicane only confirmed Oscar’s reputation as a driver who stands out for his tough approach on track, but always with a measured approach.

“Oscar fights hard on track, but is careful and shows respect for his opponents – and we saw that again at Turn 4 at Monza last weekend,” Webber said on the Formula for Success podcast. “To get through the chicane he had to brake extremely precisely and also complete the manoeuvre perfectly, which was another confirmation of his skill.

I heard what kind of kart driver Lewis Hamilton was: he always fought hard, but correctly. I don’t count Oscar in the same category of racers, because it is clear that there is still some earning to be done. Lewis has more than a hundred victories in the Grand Prix and Oscar has only just started his journey. But if you remember how he performed in the junior categories, his accident statistics are incredibly low.

I think the drivers he competed with on the track during that time always treated him with respect and he wants to earn that respect in Formula 1. He is determined to prove everything on the track and that is what he has done for the last five years.

But he made his Formula 1 debut after a break of fifteen months, which is a long time. For every racer it is very important to perform constantly and to practice constantly. But he came to Formula 1 last year after such a break and we know how big the difference is between the youth categories and F1. However, Oscar regularly proves that he is ready to fight with great masters and he succeeds.”