McLaren driver Oscar Piastri admits he is “happy where I am” after ex-Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan backed him to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
Piastri is currently embarking upon his maiden campaign in F1, having rejected the option of an Alpine seat last year in order to replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren.
The Australian has enjoyed a positive rookie season, especially since McLaren became a front-running force after introducing a raft of significant upgrades to its MCL60 car.
An unfortunately timed Safety Car denied Piastri accompanying team-mate Lando Norris on the podium at Silverstone, whilst he then recorded a second-place finish in the Belgian Grand Prix Sprint Race.
Although Piastri admits he was flattered by Jordan’s comments, the McLaren driver underlines that he is “very happy” to be associated with the Woking-based outfit.
“It’s flattering to have those comments,” he said via Speedcafe.
“I’m very happy where I am. But yeah, it’s always nice to be talked about in those kinds of ways.
“I think my season’s been quite good for the most part. There have definitely been some mistakes or moments I wish I could have had again, but with hindsight, it’s very easy to say those kinds of things.
“I’m happy with where I’m at driving-wise, there’s still a lot to improve, a lot to learn. I’ve got a very strong team-mate to learn from who, just by being a benchmark, is a big help for me getting back up to speed.
“So yeah, I’m happy where I am.”
Jordan’s statement follows an admission from Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner last year that he holds regrets over not signing Piastri to its junior programme.
Horner could have secured Piastri’s services when he competed for the Arden junior team the Red Bull F1 chief co-founded.
Piastri went on to clinch the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles in successive years, ahead of taking up the position of Alpine reserve driver for the 2022 season.
However, Piastri, who is managed by ex-Red Bull driver Mark Webber, turned down the Enstone side’s intentions to promote him to a race drive for 2023 when Fernando Alonso made the shock decision last summer to leave Alpine for Aston Martin.
Instead, Piastri ended up alongside Norris at McLaren, forming one of the most promising driver line-ups on the current F1 grid.
Jordan’s suggestion that Piastri could be prized away to Red Bull to join forces with Verstappen arrived amid troubles for Sergio Perez in the Austrian camp’s second seat.
The Mexican failed to progress to Q3 at five consecutive rounds earlier in the season, condemning him to only registering four podiums in the past eight rounds
Meanwhile, Verstappen has soared to eight consecutive victories to open up a 125-point deficit between the Red Bull team-mates in the Drivers’ Championship.
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