"There’s much more at stake than just my personal pride or ambitions" - Oscar Piastri on McLaren contesting for both titles in 2024

Oscar Piastri has delved into the current situation that McLaren finds itself in, as both titles are on the table. In an interview given to GQ, the Australian shared that there's more at stake than his pride.

With eight races left, there is an interesting situation developing in the championship standings where McLaren looks like it is going to jump Red Bull soon and lead the championship, based on results over the last few races. The driver's championship, however, is more peculiar, as Lando Norris is still 62 points behind Max Verstappen.

With 8 races left and looking at the form guides of both teams, Norris can close down the gap even further. This is where Piastri's role as a team player is very important, and there could be moments in 2024 when the Australian might have to play the team game and give way to Norris on the track.

Addressing the possibility of McLaren even winning both titles, the Australian was quite mindful of the responsibility he held, saying (via GQ),

“We’re a team of over 1000 people, and I’m just one of the two guys that gets to drive the car. I appreciate that without the whole team, it wouldn’t be possible in the first place. There’s much more at stake than just my personal pride or ambitions."

He added,

“Hopefully, I can make a bit of an extra difference on track as all the drivers do but it’s pretty straightforward to understand that we are a massive team, and there are the ambitions of 1000s of people here, as well the millions of fans that we have. There’s a very big picture at play, but ultimately, if you make your car quick enough, then you get the opportunity to balance both.”

McLaren did not enter the 2024 F1 season aiming to be a title contender. The Woking-based squad was looking to make improvements to the season it had in 2023, but it would not have expected a scenario where Red Bull has lost its way and the former now has the best car on the grid.

---

Oscar Piastri on how Motorsport can be a "bit weird"

Oscar Piastri shared how he feels motorsport can be a bit weird because it is an individual sport within a team sport. You have to try to win the driver's title yourself, but at the same time, you have to keep an eye on maximizing the results to win the title for the team as well.

Talking about the current situation where Lando Norris and his title charge could be impacted by Oscar Piastri and the role he plays within the team, the Australian said,

“It’s definitely something you have to balance. Motorsport is a bit of a weird sport in that, in some ways, it’s an individual sport within a team sport. Now in the position we’re in, fighting for the championship and an outside chance for a drivers championship, that adds a completely different element to what we’ve had in the past as a team."

It is a very interesting situation that Piastri finds himself in at the moment. Standing 30 points behind Charles Leclerc who is in 3rd place in the standings, if the Australian disobeys team orders and drives for himself in the drivers' championship, that would mean going against the betterment of McLaren, which might not be wise in the long run.