Max Verstappen has praised Oscar Piastri for his “calm” approach to racing, with the reigning World Champion suggesting that the McLaren driver – who is now leading the Drivers’ standings – has the qualities needed to battle for the title.
After making his debut in 2023, Piastri showed signs of progression during his sophomore campaign last year, claiming two race wins as well as helping McLaren to seal their first Teams’ Championship since 1998.
That trajectory has continued into 2025, with Piastri proving victorious in China, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and becoming the new championship leader in the process, sitting 10 points clear of team mate Lando Norris.
While Verstappen lost out on the win in Jeddah to Piastri – the Red Bull driver picking up a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage during a Lap 1 battle with the Australian, before going on to finish the race in P2 – he was complimentary about how his rival is performing so far.
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“I think I’ve said it before. People forget a little bit – last year was his second year. Now he’s in his third year, and he’s very solid,” Verstappen said of Piastri after the race. “He’s very calm in his approach, and I like that.
“It shows on track. He delivers when he has to, barely makes mistakes – and that’s what you need when you want to fight for a championship.”
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Verstappen also suggested that Piastri’s manager, former F1 driver Mark Webber, has been a positive influence on the 24-year-old, adding: “I think with Mark by his side, he’s helping him a lot.
“It’s great. People learn from their own careers – that’s what I had with my Dad [former F1 driver Jos Verstappen], and Mark is advising Oscar. At the end of the day, Oscar is using his talent, and that’s great to see.”
Verstappen had to settle for P2 in Jeddah while Piastri claimed his third victory of the season
Now Verstappen and Red Bull face the challenge of catching Piastri and McLaren in the championship battle and, when asked what the Milton Keynes-based outfit need in order to get on more equal footing with the papaya squad, Verstappen responded: “I think we need to find more overall performance, balance especially, and of course consistency.
“We are not good at every track, that’s quite clear. Bahrain, we were lacking a lot. Here [in Jeddah], for sure, it was a lot better. But, like I said, it’s also very low deg [tyre degradation] and then more cars come alive, so we still have work to do, but at least it’s a promising result.
“Overall, it’s been a promising weekend, at the end of the day. We really managed to find a good balance or a decent balance, and that’s, of course, positive for us.”
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