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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDerek Daly believes Oscar Piastri is the driver younger drivers are now trying to emulate. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDerek Daly believes Oscar Piastri is the driver younger drivers are now trying to emulate. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n
Speaking to Speedcafe, the former Williams and Tyrrell driver said Piastri\u2019s composed approach behind the wheel reminded him of the first time he saw Prost test a McLaren at Paul Ricard early in the Frenchman\u2019s career.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe day I tested the Tyrrell at Paul Ricard, Alain Prost had his first day in the McLaren,\u201d Daly said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it\u2019s funny how you see a driver on the track and you hear his gear changes and his braking and you make a decision. You categorise him immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWow. He\u2019s good.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s an F3 guy just like me. This guy is really good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Piastri has frequently drawn comparisons to Prost throughout his F1 career due to his calm demeanour and measured driving style, with the Australian rapidly emerging as one of the sport\u2019s leading drivers since joining McLaren in 2023.<\/p>\n
After winning multiple races in 2024, Piastri led the majority of the drivers\u2019 championship in 2025 before a costly mid-season run without points ultimately hurt his title hopes, with the Melburnian finishing third behind teammate Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.<\/p>\n
Daly believes the similarities between Piastri and Prost extend well beyond temperament, pointing to the Australian\u2019s consistency and ability to remain emotionally detached under pressure.<\/p>\n
\u201cPiastri is very similar because he\u2019s largely mistake free,\u201d Daly explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody makes mistakes. Prost made mistakes. Prost in Monaco in 1982 had it wrapped up when he threw the whole thing into the bin.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Piastri is very similar. I think the most impressive thing about Oscar Piastri is he has this ability to become emotionally numb.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn other words, he doesn\u2019t seem to get wrapped up in the emotion of the moment of a grand prix race day when everything is going into panic mode.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd he\u2019s cool. He doesn\u2019t rush his race prep, you know, putting his ear plugs in or his balaclava on. It\u2019s all just measured. Easy.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou hear him on the radio and you\u2019d think he just fell asleep. And this is the end of the race.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Irishman said the Australian\u2019s calmness during the chaos of a grand prix weekend was now influencing the next generation of drivers coming through the junior ranks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI now hear young drivers when they\u2019re being told who to emulate, I hear them being told, \u2018think like Piastri. Think like Oscar Piastri\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink about being numb. Think about being relaxed. Think about an easy feel on the steering wheel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daly also suggested McLaren may not have fully realised how complete Piastri was when the team signed him, with the Australian quickly establishing himself alongside Norris.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think McLaren really believed he was as good as he was going to be. As fast as he was,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMcLaren put him in there saying, yeah, he\u2019s good. We want to put him in there.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he definitely surprised McLaren in just how good and how complete he was at such a young age.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite Norris winning the 2025 world championship, Daly believes the long-term dynamic between the McLaren pair remains unresolved, particularly as Piastri continues to develop.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s a slow burner, but he\u2019s a long game player,\u201d Daly said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think last year he got the hard lesson that when he went that stretch where he scored no points, it cost him the world championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I think he\u2019s a long player. He\u2019s going to let this play out for the first half of the year, and then see where things are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Piastri currently sits sixth in the drivers\u2019 championship after the opening four rounds of the season.<\/p>\n