Rising F1 star compared to Hamilton by top TV pundit

Oscar Piastri has been hailed as the future of the sport after a stunning rookie season saw him put up the best first-season points tally since Lewis Hamilton.

While Piastri benefited from a more generous points system than Hamilton's debut, the Austrailan's performances were incredibly impressive, picking up back to back podiums and a sprint victory in Japan and Qatar.

While Piastri was defeated by his highly rated British team-mate Lando Norris - finishing 108 points down having scored 97 points - the Australian impressed.

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As well as taking excellent podiums in Japan and Qatar, he also recorded a sprint victory in the latter to cement his status as one of F1's 'one to watch' stars heading into the future.

For Sky Sports broadcaster David Croft though, his potential is sky high, comparing his debut season to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton's rookie year saw him compete for the title at McLaren only to miss out at the final race in Brazil by just one point.

Piastri makes major F1 splash

“Oscar’s a sponge of a driver. He soaks everything up, he learns," Croft said Autosport International event.

“He learned at the hands of Fernando Alonso [at Alpine]. He spent a year watching Fernando in the garage and he soaked it all up and he’s used all that experience.

“It was one of the best rookie seasons, I think, since Lewis Hamilton, back in 2007. I’m a big fan of Oscar Piastri.”

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