Max Verstappen has pointed out two things which he really likes about Formula 1 title rival Oscar Piastri. After a controversial start to Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Piastri pipped Verstappen to claim his third win of the season.
The McLaren star’s latest 25-point haul moved him top of this year’s world championship standings after five rounds of racing, with team-mate Lando Norris now second. Verstappen, who’s won the last four championships, remains third, having been ahead of Piastri until he received a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an unfair advantage at the first turn of lap one.
But that didn’t stop pole sitter Verstappen from praising the 24-year-old, who’s only been in Formula 1 since 2023. The Dutchman complimented calm demeanour and his ability to deliver ‘when he has to’.
“Last year was his second year, now he’s in his third year and he’s very solid,” Verstappen hailed. “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.”
After his victory in Jeddah, Piastri became the first Australian to lead the world championship since his manager, Mark Webber, did 15 years ago. Webber, who couldn’t convert his lead into a title win, is now Piastri’s personal manager and Verstappen believes that his presence is a major influence.
“With Mark by his side, he’s helping him a lot, it’s great,” the Red Bull driver, who’s won one Grand Prix in 2025, said. “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.”
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Piastri is known for his cool head both on and off the track, and he’s not getting ahead of himself with 19 more rounds of the season to go. “I’m happy, but I think I’m more proud of the reasons I’m leading the championship rather than the fact I am leading the championship,” he explained.
“It’s been a great start to the year. I worked on the things I wanted to work on from last season, and it’s paying off. That’s what’s given me the most satisfaction at the moment. Obviously winning races is fun too, but the fact that I feel like I’ve really taken a step up and scoring the most amount of points when we can is the biggest thing.
“It’s still super early in the championship – I want to be leading it after round 24, not round 5 – but it’s a good start.”
Piastri, Verstappen, Norris and others will resume their title fight in Miami on the first weekend of May. It’s also a Sprint weekend, meaning that more points will be up for grabs.
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