Mark Webber impact on Oscar Piastri impresses key F1 rival
Oscar Piastri's impressive form has caught the eye of an F1 rival.
Max Verstappen has been left impressed by F1 title rival Oscar Piastri’s calm approach on his way to leading the world championship.
Piastri turned in another outstanding drive to beat Red Bull’s Verstappen to victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to make it three wins from the opening five races of 2025.
The 24-year-old now finds himself in the lead of the world championship for the first time in just his third F1 season and is 10 points clear of McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
It also marks the first time an Australian has headed the drivers’ standings since Mark Webber in 2010.
Former Red Bull driver Webber now acts as Piastri’s manager and Verstappen believes he has had a hugely positive impact.
“Last year was his [Piastri’s] second year. 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,” said the Dutchman, who sits 12 points behind Piastri.
“He delivers when he has to, barely makes mistakes – and that’s what you need when you want to fight for a championship.
“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, and Mark is advising Oscar.
“At the end of the day, Oscar is using his talent, and that’s great to see.”
Where has Oscar Piastri made the biggest gain?
Piastri, who has shrugged off the importance of his new-found position as championship leader, has credited the gains he has made in qualifying for his strong start to the season.
The McLaren driver has claimed two pole positions so far this year and qualified no lower than third on the grid.
“I think the hard work we’ve been putting in definitely has been making a difference,” he said. “I think I’ve felt comfortable in qualifying and it felt like I’ve taken a bit of a step up.
“I think last year it wasn’t much that I often missed out by. But this year, I’ve had a couple qualifyings just on the wrong side of that gap still, but also more qualifyings on the right side of that gap now.
“So it’s been a lot of hard work in a lot of different areas, trying to get those last few hundreds of a second, and I think it has been paying off.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
