The Australian joined the F1 grid with McLaren in 2023, immediately making an impression with two podiums in his rookie year. In 2024, he achieved his first Grand Prix win at the Hungarian GP, followed by another in Azerbaijan. His momentum has continued into 2025, where he has already taken six victories, earning him a nine-point advantage over teammate Lando Norris in the drivers’ championship.

Returning to the Hungaroring this year brought back memories of that breakthrough moment. Piastri reflected on how much he has progressed since then, saying he has developed “a little bit in a lot of areas.”

He explained that while last year included weekends strong enough to fight for wins, they were often offset by average or poor performances. This season, however, has been “full of a lot more good days,” with the 24-year-old feeling he is now much closer to his full potential more consistently.

Piastri attributes this to refining many small elements rather than one major change. “It’s come from looking at lots of different things. Being able to execute what I think is my best more and more often — that’s been the difference,” he said.

Unlike at the same point last season, Piastri now finds himself leading the championship. With Norris his nearest rival, the second half of the season promises a tense intra-team battle for the title. Asked what it will take to come out on top, Piastri was clear: “The way you win races at the back end of the season is the same as at the start. You need to be faster than everyone around you and you need to make the least mistakes possible.”

Piastri stressed the need to balance pace with reliability. “It’s great to be consistent, but if you’re consistently being beaten, that’s not a recipe for a championship. You have to balance speed and minimising errors. We’re all human, so you can’t be perfect — but you can’t afford to sit back either.”

The season resumes after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix from August 29-31, where the fight between McLaren’s two frontrunners is set to intensify.

The post Oscar Piastri Reflects on Growth Since Maiden F1 Win Ahead of 2025 Dutch GP appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

Piastri leads Norris by 16 points after winning four of the last five races.

Motorsports Mind Games

“Motorsport is also played out in the mind,” Prost said.

He argues that social-media-driven pressure rewards drivers who stay discreet.

“The new Championship leader, Oscar Piastri, doesn’t communicate much,” he noted.

Experience Versus Momentum

Norris, a McLaren stalwart since 2019, finally opened his victory account last season and has carried that form into 2025.

Yet Piastri’s rapid learning curve and error-free consistency have tilted the balance.

Historical Parallels

Prost referenced his own fiery rivalry with Ayrton Senna and the later Hamilton–Rosberg clash to warn that teammate battles rarely remain peaceful.

The Role Of Social Media

Prost says modern drivers “put themselves under a lot of pressure” by sharing every emotion online.

Piastri’s low-profile approach echoes Kimi Räikkönen’s famously taciturn style.

Managing The Battle

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella must juggle both title bids without repeating the intra-team implosions of past champions.

Final Insight

If Prost is right, the quiet Australian’s psychological armour may prove decisive as the season intensifies.

The post Oscar Piastri compared to Kimi Räikkönen appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

McLaren’s Strong Performance in Sunday’s Race
Although Piastri lost out to Hamilton in the sprint, he bounced back with an impressive performance in the full Grand Prix. Piastri claimed his first pole position and went on to win the race, marking his third career victory.

Ferrari’s Disastrous Outcome
For Ferrari, the weekend was filled with disappointment. Both Charles Leclerc and Hamilton were summoned to the stewards after finishing in P5 and P6, respectively. They were later disqualified — Leclerc’s Ferrari was found underweight, and Hamilton’s car had rearward skid wear below the required limit. This resulted in zero points for Ferrari, dropping them to fifth place in the standings.

The Future of McLaren vs. Ferrari Rivalry
As McLaren leads with 78 points, the question remains whether Ferrari can recover and reignite the rivalry that had fans on the edge of their seats last season. With Ferrari struggling, McLaren may continue to dominate in the upcoming races.

The post McLaren’s Oscar Piastri investigates Ferrari appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

The Australian driver, entering his third season in F1, has impressed in his first two years, and Steiner believes Piastri is ready to take the next step in his career.

Stellar Progression for Oscar Piastri

After a promising rookie season, Piastri took his first F1 victory in 2024 and finished an impressive fourth in the standings. Steiner pointed out the growth in Piastri’s performance, stating, “I think he has the right car now and I think this is his year.”

Reflecting on Piastri’s rapid development, he added, “Coming in as a rookie he over-delivered for a rookie in 2023 and in ’24 he followed up with some improvement.”

The Team-Mate Rivalry: Piastri vs. Norris

Despite Piastri’s success, McLaren team-mate Lando Norris has consistently been faster, finishing 82 points ahead in the standings last season. Steiner, however, believes the two drivers are close in talent. “Lando and Oscar are very close talent-wise,” he noted.

“As the season goes on, they will want one of their guys to go for the driver’s championship.”

Piastri himself is optimistic about his chances, stating that he believes 2025 will be his year to challenge for the title. “It’s definitely a clean slate [this year],” Piastri remarked, highlighting his readiness to fight for the championship.

With the team showing promising pace, all eyes are on McLaren’s ability to provide Piastri the car he needs to make a title run.

The post Guenther Steiner Makes Shocking Oscar Piastri Claim appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

The 2024 Formula 1 season marked a significant breakthrough for both McLaren drivers. Norris showcased impressive raw speed in both qualifying and race conditions, making him a genuine challenger to Max Verstappen in the battle for the Drivers’ Championship.

Meanwhile, Piastri also celebrated key milestones, securing his first two Grand Prix victories. The Australian followed up his maiden triumph in Hungary with a commanding defensive drive to hold off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in Azerbaijan.

Despite these successes, the 23-year-old faced frustrations, ending the season without a single pole position and being out-qualified by Norris in 21 out of 24 races. Additionally, he struggled to consistently match the Brit’s race pace.

READ: Best Supercar Rental Dubai – Verified and Trusted Rentals

However, many in the paddock believe Piastri is poised for a significant leap forward in 2025, potentially disrupting Norris’ championship ambitions. If the young Australian can improve his qualifying performances and challenge Norris more frequently, the dynamic at McLaren could shift dramatically.

“Lando Norris has the best opportunity if McLaren continues to make the best car, but he cannot relax this season,” Montoya said in an interview with CasinoApps.

Montoya emphasized the importance of mental resilience in a high-stakes environment like Formula 1.

“If Norris relaxes and Oscar Piastri gets better, it can destroy Norris. Piastri needs to out-qualify Norris a few times to boost his confidence. Norris has better race pace than Piastri, so if he can outperform Norris in qualifying and make the strategy of winning the race in his favour, it could get into Norris’ head and force him to make mistakes.”

McLaren has been steadily climbing the competitive ladder, and with continued development, the team could once again find itself battling at the sharp end of the grid in 2025. This progress presents both an opportunity and a challenge for Norris, who must maintain his edge against a determined and fast-improving teammate.

With Verstappen’s dominance in 2024 still fresh in the minds of many, McLaren is expected to be one of the key teams challenging Red Bull in the upcoming season. While Norris remains the de facto team leader, Piastri’s continued development could put him in contention for more wins and potentially upset the balance within the team.

As pre-season preparations ramp up, all eyes will be on the McLaren duo to see how their rivalry unfolds. If Norris is to stake a serious claim for the championship, he cannot afford to underestimate his teammate. Piastri, on the other hand, will be eager to prove that he is not just a strong prospect but a genuine title contender in his own right.

The post Lando Norris Sent Serious Oscar Piastri ‘Destroy’ Warning appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

Following his very public move from Alpine to McLaren for 2023, Piastri had a lot of pressure on him to perform in his rookie season.

However, he never looked like a driver under any form of pressure, as he settled into the Woking-based team and into F1 with complete ease.

Many people were stunned at just how quickly he was able to lap at a similar pace to Lando Norris in qualifying, with Schumacher admitting that Piastri “never makes a mistake” over one-lap.

Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies

Piastri was also exceptional in the Sprint races, with him having finished second in the Belgian Grand Prix Sprint, whilst he astonishingly won the 100km race at the Qatar Grand Prix.

His main weakness in 2023 though, was his race pace, where he tended to be slower than his teammate.

Schumacher recognises that the young Australian struggled to maintain good consistent speed when it came to the races but that he was faultless over a short distance.

“I have to say I’m a big fan of Oscar [Piastri], the only thing is he seems still to be a bit weak in the racing speed,” Schumacher said on the Formula For Success podcast.

“I think his qualifying performance is amazing, he never makes a mistake, [and] he’s always there, so that’s great.”

Alongside his two Sprint rostrums, Piastri also finished on the podium in two races back-to-back, in Japan and Qatar.

McLaren have seen Piastri’s potential and have locked him into a deal which doesn’t expire until the end of 2026, meaning he will enter the new power unit regulations with the British team.

READ: Sergio Perez not the ‘right option’ for Alpine

Piastri is undoubtedly a driver who will fight for the Drivers’ Championship in the future; McLaren want to ensure that he does so in their car.

With the papaya side likely to have an even better car in the upcoming season, Piastri’s big target should be to finish amongst the top five on a more regular basis.

Given that Norris does this already, Piastri will likely be battling with his teammate in 2024 if he has improved his race pace over the off-season.

The post Ralf Schumacher opens up on Oscar Piastri after challenging Lando Norris appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

Piastri and teammate Lando Norris got on very well in 2023, although what was immediately very clear is how differently they go about their business.

The Australian driver rarely spoke badly about himself when talking to the media, whereas Norris had a tendency to rip into his driving on camera.

It’s not just when speaking to the media that Norris tended to be publicly very critical of himself, as he had a habit of speaking negatively about his performances over the team radio last season.

Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies

Norris’ negative views on himself commonly occurred after qualifying sessions, with Qatar being one venue where he was frustrated for not putting a strong lap together, given that the Woking-based team were particularly strong at the Losail International Circuit.

Piastri didn’t do this, with him clearly preferring to keep his thoughts on his performances behind closed-doors, rather than instead of cameras and journalists.

The former F3 and F2 Champion opted against becoming “upset or emotional” over the radio, with his priority being finding answers to problems.

His maturity was evident in his rookie season, as was ability to “keep a clear mind”.

He admits that there were, of course, “some difficult races” during his debut season but that he’d rather solve the problems instead of “get upset about them”.

READ: Max Verstappen beating Red Bull in a McLaren ‘impossible’

“I would say I’m very self-critical,” Piastri told Motorsport.com. “For me, there’s just no point, especially in self-deprecation, destroying yourself in front of the media. If you want to do that on your own, then sure.

“For me, just trying to find answers to things is the most important thing. There’s been some difficult sessions, some difficult races. But, and I think this also comes across in my radio, there’s no point getting upset or emotional about things you can’t control.

“It’s much better to try and fix things that you can control than just get upset about them. So, that’s always been my way of trying to tackle these things and just trying to keep a clear mind.”

The post Oscar Piastri denies ‘destroying’ himself appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

Norris did extremely well in supporting Piastri during the young Australian’s rookie season, where he surprised many by how quickly he managed to compete with the more experienced British driver.

Norris remained as McLaren’s number one driver, although Piastri was often capable of producing very similar lap times.

Whilst the 24-year-old did claim seven podiums in 2023 compared to Piastri’s two, the Australian managed to win a Sprint race in Qatar – McLaren’s first Sprint win.

Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies

The two McLaren drivers shared a lot of information last season, with Piastri stressing that their data will remain “completely open” despite the fact he has a year under his belt now.

Piastri and Norris will work “exactly the same” in the upcoming season as they worked last year, with the team’s goal of catching Red Bull being more important than an intra-team squabble.

As far as Piastri’s aware, McLaren aren’t set to introduce any “barriers” between the two drivers, with everyone needing to remain united to try and fight for victories in 2024.

If the chance does come for Piastri or Norris to claim a first win for McLaren since Daniel Ricciardo at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, then the 22-year-old wants things to remain “respectful” on the circuit.

“The relationship is still exactly the same,” Piastri told Autosport.

“Of course, we’re not winning [titles] at the moment. We’re a lot closer than we were, but we still need to find that bit more to challenge and to beat Red Bull.

“So, it’s still very important for us to work together and help the team develop the car.

“The team back at MTC and the engineers here are all doing their best to try and help things. But if me and Lando have got any additional info or directions on things, then anything we can do to help is going to help both of us.

“In terms of data and stuff like that, it’s all completely open. There are no barriers or anything and that won’t change.

READ: Haas departures continue as Ferrari technical director follows Guenther Steiner

“We just need to make sure that our racing is respectful. But apart from that, it’s all good.”

Whilst Piastri demonstrated similar one-lap pace to Norris in his debut campaign, the young Aussie tended to be a few-tenths slower than the Briton per lap when it came to race pace.

A lot of this is down to his inexperience in managing Pirelli’s rubber; however, with 22 races in his locker now, he could start to reduce his team-mates race pace advantage.

The post Oscar Piastri makes Lando Norris demand appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

The McLaren driver became a star this year in his debut campaign, as he quickly demonstrated similar pace to Lando Norris.

Whilst Piastri had a poor car for the first half of the recently completed season, he was consistently fighting for big points from the Austrian Grand Prix onwards.

It was at the Red Bull Ring where McLaren introduced a huge upgrades package, which turned their season around.

Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies

Piastri went onto finish second in the Belgian Grand Prix Sprint race, before he picked up consecutive podium finishes in Japan and Qatar.

Also, during the Qatar Grand Prix, the young Aussie claimed Sprint race victory after fending off Max Verstappen.

There is no doubting that he is a real contender to become a future World Champion, something McLaren have clearly identified given that he was offered a two-year contract extension.

Now, Piastri is under contract until the end of 2026, meaning he’ll enter the new power unit regulations with the Woking-based squad.

He has already received significant attention from other teams in the paddock, most notably, Red Bull.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner is a big fan of Piastri, although Norris has also been heavily linked to the energy drink company.

Piastri is keen for McLaren to push on in 2024 to ensure that they can battle Red Bull at each race, something the side arguably need to do if they want to keep both drivers long-term.

“I think as a team we’ve tasted a lot more success in the second half of the year,” Piastri said, as per The Mirror.

READ: Ferrari boss says Susie Wolff story is ’embarrassing’

“I think we’re fully expecting next year to go into the year fighting for more, or at least making our good weekends we’ve had this year every weekend. But I’m sure Mercedes and Ferrari have the same idea.

“So we will try our best, definitely try and start it a little better than we did this year.

“For myself, I feel like I’ve got much more experience under my belt. And hopefully I can use that for whatever position we find ourselves in.”

The post Oscar Piastri makes surprising McLaren comment appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

Piastri entered Formula 1 this season on the back of a controversial move from Alpine to McLaren, which required the assistance of the FIA’s Contract Recognition Board.

Some wondered whether Piastri would struggle to deal with the nature in which he joined the Woking-based outfit; however, he thrived from the get-go.

Piastri’s rookie season has been labelled as the best since Hamilton’s back in 2007, a season which saw the seven-time World Champion fight for the crown.

Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies

The young Australian hasn’t fought for the title but he has contested the leading places, and even became a Sprint race winner back at the Qatar Grand Prix.

His first top-three came in the Belgian Grand Prix Sprint race, where he was narrowly beaten by Max Verstappen.

Ahead of claiming his first Sprint win, Piastri secured his first F1 podium at the Japanese Grand Prix, before he then made his Qatar GP weekend even sweeter by finishing second in the race.

Very few expected him to feature towards the front so quickly, let alone be battling with Lando Norris instantly.

Over recent years, Norris has been too strong for Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo; however, even he’s been pushed to the limit by Piastri.

It shouldn’t come as a shock that his rookie campaign has been compared to Hamilton’s, although he does admit that he’s the first rookie since the Mercedes driver to have a car as good as the one he had in 2007.

“It’s nice to have this comparison,” Piastri told Sky Sports F1. “I’ve probably been the first rookie since Lewis to have a car as competitive as this.

READ: Logan Sargeant makes shocking claim about 2024 contract

“That definitely helps in some ways but I feel like it has been a good year.

“The thing I’ve been proud of is that when I’ve had those opportunities to score podiums or fight at the front, fight for pole positions, more times than not I feel like I’ve been able to get the most out of the car and out of myself. Which I don’t think is a small thing.”

Piastri certainly has the chance to end his maiden season on a high, as he’ll start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from third on the grid.

The post Oscar Piastri makes Lewis Hamilton claim in response to comparison appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.