F1 News: Guenther Steiner Claims Oscar Piastri's Success Could Propel 2024 Silly Season
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has predicted a significant overhaul in the Formula 1 driver lineup for the 2025 season, claiming that Oscar Piastri's successful rookie season will give teams more confidence to bring new drivers to the grid.
Key Takeaways:
- Imminent Changes in Driver Lineup: Steiner envisions a dynamic shift in the driver market by 2024, with contracts of 14 drivers set to expire. This includes Haas's Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, potentially leading to a lively 'silly' season.
- Rising Opportunities for Emerging Drivers: The 2025 season is identified as a crucial time for young drivers' entry into Formula 1. Steiner points out that several current drivers might retire or underperform, paving the way for new talent.
- Piastri's Success as a Game-Changer: Oscar Piastri's immediate success with McLaren is seen as a turning point, encouraging teams to consider young rookies. Steiner predicts that Piastri's example could lead to a surge of new drivers in the 2025 season.
The Formula 1 scene in 2024 is set to undergo considerable changes, as foreseen by Haas F1's team principal, Guenther Steiner. The end of numerous drivers' contracts, including those of Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, indicates a period of significant movement and potential upheaval.
In a conversation with Sky F1's Craig Slater, Steiner shared his outlook for the future of F1 driver recruitment. He stated:
“I think there’s a lot of potential at the end of 2024, focusing on ’25, I think there’s a big opportunity for young drivers to come in.
“Because some of them, the drivers who are there now or will be at the end of ’24, maybe stop doing it.
“Some of them will have not performed, nobody will pick them up. Some, I see a better opportunity in taking a risk with a young driver than keeping somebody who didn’t perform.”
This scenario, according to Steiner, presents an ideal chance for young, emerging drivers to step into the limelight.
A key factor in this expected shift is the impact of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, whose immediate success has reshaped teams' approach towards rookies. Steiner emphasised this point, saying:
“We now see these things and say ‘OK, it worked with Piastri – why would it not work with somebody else? You have some history there now.’
“So it could be that, in ’25 with no changes for ’24, all of a sudden we have got three, four, or five new guys… I think that could happen.”