Unreliability and harm for each Piastri and team-mate Lando Norris within the opening two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have left McLaren backside of the constructors’ championship and with no level.
Regardless of this poor opening, 1996 F1 world title winner Hill reckons rookie Piastri won’t want to fret a few unhealthy run sapping his confidence, even when the Australian is but to ship a standout efficiency to mark his arrival within the prime flight like Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Max Verstappen did.
Talking completely to Autosport, Hill – who will present commentary for the Australian Grand Prix to the Ten Community – mentioned: “Should you get off to a shaky begin, it could possibly take all season to get that again once more. Individuals are very fast to evaluate and search for the indicators.
“The good drivers got here into Method 1 with a bang. They arrived. Michael Schumacher, Max Verstappen, Ayrton Senna, they got here in and everybody went, ‘Wow the place did that come from? Who is that this man?’.
“I would not say Oscar has had the chance to do fairly that, however he has positively seemed very competent and strong.
“He is not somebody who you go, ‘Oh my God, he seems a bit shaky’.”
Michael Schumacher turned heads on his F1 debut at Spa in 1991
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
Ex-Williams driver Hill contrasted Piastri with Mick Schumacher, the son of his nice rival Michael.
The German is at present at Mercedes as reserve driver, having been launched by Haas after two seasons. His 2022 was blighted by car-snapping crashes that pressured the American squad to desert upgrades.
Hill continued: “Mick Schumacher by no means actually put in a kind of sit-up-and-take-notice performances and struggled to encourage the arrogance individuals have to have within the driver.
“Earlier than you realize it, it turns into an enormous snowball impact the place the snowball will get heavier and heavier and also you get crushed by it.
“Up to now for Oscar, he isn’t bought that downside to consider. He is bought a really agency footing from which to push off.”
Hill, a winner of 22 grands prix, added that Piastri’s early performances indicated a robust season was within the offing. However he expects stablemate and de facto benchmark Norris to enhance as he will get “warmed up”.
“Oscar has are available bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and looking out assured and really a lot at dwelling in Method 1,” mentioned Hill. “He is already put in some spectacular performances. It bodes effectively for the remainder of the season.
“I am certain when Lando will get warmed up, he’ll be a more durable nut to crack, however [Oscar] will study loads.
“Coming to Melbourne [home race], he’ll be getting plenty of consideration, and it is about whether or not that distracts him.
“However he would not strike me because the form of one who is definitely distracted or within the peripheral stuff that occurs in Method 1. He appears to be a really eager and centered racer.”
