Max Verstappen reveals he’s impressed by Oscar Piastri as the McLaren driver takes the lead of the F1 2025 title battle, praising the Australian’s calm demeanour in the car following the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The 23-year-old delivered a confident performance at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit to take control of the drivers’ championship at the end of Formula 1’s triple header, beating the Red Bull to bolster his title credentials.
Now sitting 10 points ahead of Lando Norris in the table, he continues to grind out the wins without letting the moment get to his head; claiming victories in China, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Even caught up in Lap 1 drama with the defending champion, who earned a five-second penalty, the man from Melbourne didn’t become overwhelmed by the situation and remained focused as he executed his race as if nothing had ever happened.
And it’s the calmness of the McLaren ace seems to have Verstappen impressed, as the Red Bull star explains why he likes the approach of Piastri to the F1 2025 title battle.
“I think I’ve said it before; people forget a little bit,” Verstappen told members of the media, including Total-Motorsport.com. “Last year was his second year.
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
“Now he’s in his third year, and he’s very solid. 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.
“And I think with Mark [Webber, manager] 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, and Mark is advising Oscar.
“At the end of the day, Oscar is using his talent, and that’s great to see.”
Piastri not focusing on leading Norris and Verstappen in F1 2025 title battle
Perhaps another under-appreciated quality comes from Piastri‘s ability to put things into perspective, remaining down to Earth as he makes sure he doesn’t get carried away by the bright start to the year.
And that was on show once again beside the Red Sea as the Aussie admits he doesn’t really care about leading the championship after five rounds, but instead celebrates what it represents for the team.
“I still want to go out and try and win every race I can,” Piastri told media, including Total-Motorsport.com. “I was saying before, I’m not that bothered by the fact that I’m leading the championship.
“But I’m proud of the work and the reasons behind why we’re leading the championship. Melbourne wasn’t a great start to the year in terms of results. But from the moment I’ve hit the track this season, I felt like I’ve been in a good place.
“Leading the championship is a result of all the hard work we’ve done in the off-season, the hard work I’ve done personally, the hard work the team’s done.
“I’m more proud of all of those things than I am of the fact that I’m leading the championship because, ultimately, I want to be leading it after round 24, not round five.”
