After a costly mistake in round one at Australia, Oscar Piastri has recovered impressively to claim the Championship lead.
The 24-year-old has claimed four victories out of six races, making a clear step forward from the last two seasons.
As they battle at the front, Piastri and teammate Lando Norris are naturally the subject of plenty of comparison in F1 circles.
According to 4-time Champion Alain Prost, the Australian has the right approach to the mental demands of Formula 1.
Piastri shows impressive evolution in 2025
Few drivers experience the kind of turbulence that Oscar Piastri did in the summer of 2022, prior to even making his F1 debut.
The Australian had signed a contract with McLaren in June, to make his debut with the team in 2023.
However, Fernando Alonso’s Alpine exit (which shocked the French team) resulted in Alpine trying to secure Piastri’s signature.
They announced his “promotion” in August, despite Piastri already having a deal in place with McLaren.
Whilst the details of this saga are now in the past, they serve as a reminder of how highly regarded Piastri was in junior categories.
Having won Formula 3 and Formula 2 consecutively, it is hardly a surprise he was such hot property.
After two seasons of Norris enjoying an edge in performance, Piastri has taken a notable step forward in 2025.
Though a few mistakes in qualifying have cost him Pole Position on a few occasions, his race pace and tyre management are significantly stronger than previous years.
Piastri does well to minimise stress, says Prost
Now a genuine contender for this year’s title, there is no shortage of analysis about the the 24-year-old’s trajectory.
Alain Prost’s assessment is that Piastri has the correct approach to navigating the stressful F1 environment:
“Motor racing is obviously played out on the track,” he wrote on l’equipe.
“Reflexes and the natural talent of drivers are obviously essential.
“But motor racing is also played out in the mind. Psychology is a crucial element.
“It already was in my day, but social media has made it even more crucial to a driver’s success.
“Now, everything is shown, everything is experienced, everything is known.
“Many drivers succumb to this trend of sharing.
“I think that by doing this, they put an insane amount of pressure on themselves. Others choose to remain discreet, in my opinion rightly so.
“The new Championship leader, Oscar Piastri, hardly communicates.
“We don’t know much about his life off the track.
“Naturally reserved, the Australian disappears between races and frees himself from this pressure.”
A long way to go
Of course, it would be premature to declare any driver as Champion at such an early stage in the season.
Norris is only 16 points behind Piastri in the Championship, and will certainly have intentions of reversing the deficit.
Max Verstappen, meanwhile, could quickly catapult himself into contention if Red Bull can unlock more performance on the RB21.
The FIA’s flexi-wing technical directive in Spain could also hamper McLaren’s pace – though this remains to be seen.
Regardless, it cannot be said that anything is certain with eighteen rounds sill left in 2025.
What seems relatively clear, however, is that Piastri is far better equipped to fight for the title than he was twelve months ago.
The #81 driver will also take confidence from his wheel-to-wheel engagements with Verstappen, which have generally been successful.
His relaxed and level-headed personality is perfectly tailored to the kind of scrutiny that comes with being Championship leader.
Beyond this cool exterior, of course, is a killer instinct and determination that is becoming increasingly apparent.
Piastri has announced himself as a force to be reckoned with – the challenge now is continuing to improve and cementing his advantage in the title race.
