McLaren tipped to side with Oscar Piastri after ‘outwitting’ Max Verstappen

McLaren have been backed to side with Oscar Piastri after he showed he is capable of outwitting Max Verstappen at the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Piastri claimed his third victory in five races with another outstanding drive in Jeddah to move into the lead of the world championship by 10 points from his McLaren teammate Lando Norris.

The Australian capitalised on a penalty issued to Verstappen for leaving the track and gaining an advantage during an incident at the start of the race.

And Piastri has impressed ex-F1 driver Johnny Herbert with his mental strength, speed and consistency.

"Oscar Piastri has just been able to show he's able to outwit Max Verstappen,” Herbert told Beste Online Casino Nederland.

“His mental strength, his speed, his consistency and his racecraft have been really impressive this season and he presents himself so well and he is so calm over the radio.

“Piastri is doing the job he needs to win this year’s championship. He has a similar mental strength as Verstappen.

"Piastri's mental capabilities are extraordinary. Mark Webber has done a brilliant job in managing him, they seem to have a great understanding and respect for each other, which has helped get the best of Piastri in the cockpit.

“Webber has been in difficult and tight situations, he's learned that you need to have the team on your side. It looks like McLaren might be siding with Piastri a bit more.”

Lando Norris making ‘too many mistakes’

In contrast, Herbert believes Norris - who started the season as the favourite to take Verstappen’s crown - is making too many errors.

The Briton was forced into a damage-limiting recovery drive to fourth in Jeddah after a crash in qualifying left him down in 10th on the grid.

"Lando Norris is sadly making too many mistakes,” Herbert said. “Qualifying in Saudi Arabia was a prime example of it.

“It was a bit unlucky but when you go onto that curb at that speed, you're done for. Is it pressure getting to Norris? Yes, but every driver has that pressure and some can deal with it better than others, but I feel he can jump back into contention because he is very fast.

"Piastri only made a big mistake in Melbourne, but that was purely a circumstance of rain pouring down on a particular part of a corner on the track at the wrong time, Piastri suffered more than Norris did from that, which is unlucky, I guess.

"These mistakes Norris is producing are what can harm your championship hopes, but let's not forget, he started tenth and finished fourth, it was still a great drive.

“However, we learned from last season that you have to start well to give yourself the best chance of winning the championship."