Derek Daly: Piastri is one of those who plays the long game.

      Derek Daly raced in Formula 1 in the late 70s and early 80s for Ensign, Tyrrell, March, Theodore Racing, and Williams, and he still follows the events in the World Championship. In an interview with Speedcafe, the 73-year-old Irishman said that Oscar Piastri's calmness behind the wheel reminds him of Alain Prost's tests in a McLaren at Paul Ricard. Derek Daly: "On the day I tested the Tyrrell at Paul Ricard, Alain Prost was having his first day behind the wheel of a McLaren there as well. When you see a driver on the track, hear how he shifts gears and at what points he brakes, you immediately understand how good he is. And Prost was really good! Piastri is very similar to Alain. Like him, Oscar makes almost no mistakes. In fact, everyone makes mistakes, like Prost did in 1982 in Monaco. But Piastri also doesn't succumb to emotions on race day. When everyone around starts to panic, Oscar remains calm. He is in no rush, doesn't put on his headset, doesn't wear a balaclava. He does everything measuredly. Easily. Sometimes you hear him on the radio and think he has just fallen asleep. And this is at the finish of the race. Now, when young drivers are told who they should look up to, they often say: 'Think like Piastri. Think like Oscar Piastri.' Imagine that you are numb. Imagine that you are completely relaxed while driving. I don't think that when they signed the contract with McLaren, they understood how good he really is, how fast. They saw that Oscar is a great driver and took him on. And then he surprised McLaren with how good and versatile he is at such a young age. Last year, Oscar learned a bitter lesson: the period when he didn't score points cost him the championship title. But he is one of those who plays the long game, whose successes need to be assessed in the long term. This year he will let the situation develop in the first half of the year and then decide how to proceed."