Oscar Piastri says getting through feeder series one has to show one’s talent to make it in F1, but when racing in the pinnacle, there’s nothing more than winning.
In the lead-up to F1, McLaren’s Piastri has been a tremendous figure. He took the Formula Renault Eurocup title in his second season and followed it up with championships as a rookie in F3 and F2. It fast-tracked his journey to the pinnacle of racing – albeit with a detour.
He finished a respectable ninth in his first season and improved to fourth in the second. He led for a lot of months in F12025 but ultimately finished third in his first time fighting for a world championship. He saw similarities in the title fights he has had, but it is still different in every way.
What he understood with Max Verstappen’s example, is that in feeder series, one has to show his talent to make it in F1, it is not just about the championship. But when racing in the pinnacle, there’s nothing else other than the championship. Not everyone can win, but that makes it worthwhile.
“I think there are similarities, yes,” said Piastri. “The emotions you feel are more or less the same. I think what’s different in F1, when I compare it to the junior championships, is the length. The longest junior championship I had was ten rounds. This one has been two and a half times that. The duration you have to live through is much more. My F2 season, for example, was eight rounds.
“So I think that part is quite different. And I think just the stakes are a little bit different as well. In the junior categories, you obviously want to win the championship, but you’re trying to make your case for why you should be in F1. I think we’ve seen through the years — Max is probably the perfect example — you don’t need to win championships to demonstrate your capabilities for F1.
“Whereas when you get to F1, there’s nothing more than becoming champion. So that aspect is a bit different, but, yeah, there are also some similarities,” summed up Piastri, who highlighted the learning from the year, especially from the slump in non-grippy circuits. What was refreshing is the chance to fight for world championship in only his third season, something neither his rivals did.
But he is not looking things from that perspective. He is looking at what he can do next year to eliminate the things which hurt him, just like how he eliminated a lot of his issues from 2024 to 2025. “Definitely, I mean, comparing different parts of different people’s careers is always difficult with different cars and stuff, but I think definitely I can be very proud of the season I’ve had,” continued Piastri.
“When I look at this season compared to my first two years in F1, this year has been head and shoulders above the first two. Ultimately, whilst the end result is not quite what I wanted, there’s a lot of optimism and a lot of strength that I’ve gained from proving to myself what I can achieve through this season. Those are the kinds of things that are not necessarily tied to results.
“So I think for me, I can definitely take that forward into the future. It’s only my third attempt at this in F1. Hopefully, I’ve got plenty more to go, but there are definitely lessons from this year that will only make me stronger. There’ve definitely been lessons directly to do with how I drive the car, how I can be better in different conditions, and just become a better all-round driver.
“There have also been lessons outside the car — dealing with adversity, dealing with difficult moments. I’ve learned a lot about myself in those kinds of things. So, there have been lessons both in and out of the car that will definitely help me for the future,” summed up Piastri, who is looking forward to spending time at home in Australia after a grueling season.
He loves watching cricket and he will be there in Melbourne for the Boxing Day test match between Australia and England – the Ashes. Interestingly, Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas already had his time in Adelaide this week. The Finn comes from a country where cricket is not a popular game, but since his girlfriend hails from Australia, the F1 race winner had done a lot of ‘Aussie things’ off-late.
“Yeah, it’s nice having another summer break,” said Piastri. “I’m going back to Australia for a little bit, see my family and friends, give my annual hellos and goodbyes. I’m looking forward to some time away from racing, to be honest. It’s been a long, demanding season. As enjoyable as driving the fastest cars in the world is, a break now and again is always a nice thing.
“So, I’m just looking forward to not thinking about race cars and spending time with people around me. Then obviously, the new season is not far away, so it’s going to be important to enjoy that time off and then come back refreshed with the new challenges for next year.
“Hopefully, I will get to some cricket — ideally Boxing Day, given it’s in Melbourne. I mean, there’s part of me that kind of wants the series to still be alive by that point, and part of me that really doesn’t. So I’ll take whatever we can get. It’s been enjoyable to watch for the last couple of weeks,” summed up Piastri.
Here’s McLaren praising Oscar Piastri
Here’s Lando Norris on title win
Here’s Oscar Piastri in FIA Gala
