Max Verstappen is really impressed with what and how Oscar Piastri is doing, even after the weekend's defeat. He might see a bit of himself in this story.
The McLaren team has clearly arrived very strongly in the fight for the individual world championship title this year, but while everyone would expect that from Lando Norris, it is possible that a third party will end up being the surprise winner. Current champion Max Verstappen sees and knows this, and he spoke with unusual honesty, without any psychological games - it can now be stated - about his main rival:
“Oscar is performing brilliantly. Many tend to forget, but it’s worth recalling: 2024 was only his second season, 2025 the third, and yet he is very strong. When needed, he is calm, when needed, he delivers outstanding performances, and he hardly ever makes mistakes. This is exactly how you should do it if your goal is the championship title!
Mark Webber certainly helps him a lot, and that’s a great thing. You can learn the most from your own career, and he passes on those experiences to Oscar, just like my father did with me. And Oscar Piastri is a good learner, he learns the lessons, he completes the tasks! He is talented, smart, and not afraid to use his qualities. It’s good to see this!” - stated Max Verstappen sportsmanlike.
Photo: Getty Images / LAT Images
