You know there’s something special about a driver when two Formula 1 teams are fighting for their signature before they have even raced in F1. This was the situation Oscar Piastri found himself in after receiving offers from both Alpine and McLaren following Formula 3 and Formula 2 championships.

Piastri’s rookie seasons have been impressive across the board. In 2020, during his first — and only — season in F3, he won the championship and stood on the podium six times. Just one year later, he continued driving for Prema Racing, stepping up to F2. Piastri’s six wins and five consecutive podiums made him the F2 champion. In 2022, Piastri left F2 to focus on his new role as a reserve driver for both Alpine and McLaren and eventually opted to race for McLaren.

It is no secret that Piastri is a phenomenal driver. He made this clear Sunday when he secured an impressive win in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, just two months after his maiden win at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

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Piastri has been on fire, scoring the most points out of any driver on the grid in the past seven Grands Prix, and currently sitting at number four in the driver standings behind Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc.

Often flying slightly under the radar due to sharing a team with fan favorite Norris, Piastri’s achievements deserve more recognition. He has consistently racked up points for McLaren and pulled off impressive drives, and I need more people to start talking about his performances.

This season alone, he has already secured six podium finishes, all of them in the top two, and accumulated 222 points. With just seven races left in the season, I see him catching up to Ferrari’s Leclerc, who sits just 13 points ahead in the standings, and taking third. Their battle this weekend highlighted Piastri’s skills, with his sharp overtake in lap 20 and defensive driving all the way to the end. In the coming weeks, he will close up on Leclerc.

It’s hard to get the same praise when your teammate is Norris, but his results are just as impressive, and I don’t think we’re fully appreciating his skills. As his talent continues to evolve, I’m sure we’re bound to see more battles between the two — either in the last few races of this season, or certainly in the next.

This is only Piastri’s second year in F1, and he’s continuing to build on the impressive performance that marked the best rookie season since Lewis Hamilton’s debut, as he scored a Sprint race win and two podium finishes.

If his success in F3 and F2 is any indicator of what’s to come in F1, we can be sure that his future looks promising. Dominating two of the toughest racing series back-to-back, I think it’s safe to say that Piastri couldn’t be more fit to be the next F1 champion.

At just 23 years old, he has the potential to be one of the youngest F1 World Champions. Currently Sebastian Vettel holds the record, taking the title at 23 years and 134 days old, followed by Hamilton at 23 years and 300 days old, Fernando Alonso at 24 years and 58 days old and most recently Verstappen who became the fourth-youngest champion in 2021 at 24 years and 73 days old.

This weekend’s win proved huge not only for him, but for McLaren — which now leads the constructors’ championship for the first time since 2014 — thanks to the points Piastri’s win brought in. A strong constructors’ championship is often a precursor to success in the drivers’ championship.

While Norris may have a stronger chance for the World Drivers’ Championship this season, with Piastri’s results, I see him being a strong contender for the title next season. His consistent performance and McLaren’s rapidly improving car have positioned him well for success in the future.

Being the youngest driver on the grid, he’s got time, but I’m saying it right now — Piastri is a future F1 world champion.

Regina Correa is a sophomore writing about the world of motorsports in her column, “Need for Speed,” which runs every other Wednesday.

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