Piastri in McLaren 'hunger' vow after victory taste

Oscar Piastri has vowed that McLaren's hunger to be fighting for F1 wins is "probably even greater" now it is consistently in the mix. 

The team picked up victory in Miami through Lando Norris and has been able to challenge Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes at a variety of circuits, with the MCL38 regarded as the fastest car in the field.

However, due to teething troubles in fighting at the front of the field, it has not picked up a second win of the season, with Piastri keen to also break his duck in a grand prix, having won the Qatar sprint in 2023. 

The Australian believes that McLaren is now "hungry" to succeed now it has taken the step from occasional podiums to a genuine victory threat.

"The spirit has always been incredibly strong and last year when we went from trying and scraping for points to getting on the podium, not a massive amount changed," Piastri told media including RacingNews365.

"We're always hungry to try and get back to the front, and now that we're there, the hunger to really get to the top is probably even greater.

"We've obviously had a taste of victory again, and I think everybody understandably wants to replicate that as often as they can. 

"The hunger is still there and as strong as ever, we're certainly not happy finishing second or third, we want to be winning. 

"Everyone involved in the team is pushing as hard as we can to try and make that a reality."

Piastri vs Norris battle

As of the British GP, Norris heads Piastri by 47 points in the standings, with the two hauling seven and two podiums, respectively. 

But Piastri feels he is close to his team-mate, who is regarded as one of the elite drivers on the grid.

"From Barcelona, we've been incredibly close, and Monaco was obviously a strong weekend on my side, and for the last five or six races, we were separated by like half-a-tenth in qualifying," Piastri added, speaking in Austria.

"We've always been incredibly tight, and he is very strong team-mate to be up against and now its certainly obvious for everybody in a race-winning car. 

"Of course you as a driver you always want to beat everybody, not just your team-mate, but it is always the first reference."