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Oscar Piastri has vowed that it's not only his teammate Lando Norris who'll be shooting for the world drivers' title in McLaren papaya next year.
While all the McLaren champagne seemed to be sloshing around their constructors' championship hero Lando Norris at Yas Marina, his somewhat overlooked teammate Oscar Piastri was making his own quiet vow to shoot for the drivers' crown in 2025.
Naturally, Briton Norris was the toast of his home-country team at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday after his cool wire-to-wire triumph from pole ensured McLaren, F1's resurgent giants, lifted their first team title for 26 years.
It all left the cock-a-hoop drivers' championship runner-up Norris to make the bullish declaration over his team radio: "Next year is going to be my year too!"
But while Norris lapped up all the plaudits, Piastri, whose contribution to McLaren's big day was as a mere bit-part player in 10th once he'd been spun off-track by Max Verstappen's first-corner overtaking lunge that derailed them both, was quick to remind everyone of his own credentials to lift next year's crown.
Asked if he was gunning for the title in 2025 after finishing fourth in 2024, Piastri insisted on Sky Sports: "Definitely, definitely.
"Hopefully, we can come out of the blocks strong next season and mount a challenge from the start.
"I know I still have some things to work on and improve, but feel like it's been a good step up from my rookie season (in 2023) on the whole, so I'm excited for next year, go again and try and fight for both championships."
No McLaren driver has won the drivers' crown since 2008, when Lewis Hamilton triumphed, but the progress of both Norris and Piastri, who won six races between them in 2024 - four to the Briton, and two for the Aussie - has given them high hopes of overhauling Verstappen, victor in the last four seasons.
The Dutchman was not as dominant as he had been in his two previous triumphs with Red Bull's constructors' mastery now also ended by the British team, whose record in F1 is second only to Ferrari.
"We want to win the constructors and drivers' next year. This is my goal, our goal as a team," said Norrris.
"I made my mistakes this year but I learned a lot and learned a lot from Max and my competitors around me. As much as I'm happy now, I'm excited to get next year going."
Piastri was tied by team orders near the end of the season as Norris was in the stronger position to go for the title, but McLaren CEO Zak Brown made it clear they would be starting again on equal terms in 2025.
"So next, try to repeat constructors' and get the drivers' -- I'll let Oscar and Lando figure that one out!" he said.
Clearly, though, the American thinks Norris, who finished 82 points ahead of Piastri, with the pair separated by third-placed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, is the man to beat.
"He's going to give it all he's got, and given the momentum he's on, I wouldn't bet against him," said Brown, who reckoned the nerves which had come with Piastri's early problems had made the race "the worst two hours of my life, by far."
