Oscar Piastri credits his newfound consistency and mental sharpness for a standout F1 season that now sees him leading the championship.
Piastri has identified consistency as the main area of improvement behind his impressive start to the season, his third in Formula 1.
The Australian currently leads the drivers’ championship by 10 points over his teammate Lando Norris.
Piastri has won five Grands Prix from the first nine races, surprising outside observers — though not his teammate, who admitted to a “not perfect or ideal” start to his own season.
Asked about his biggest progress this year, Piastri answered: “I think for me, it’s mainly about consistency.”
“The driving itself, I don’t think, has changed much. I’ve just been racing for wins rather than for fourth and fifth places. I’ve probably gained maturity, particularly by adjusting or slightly changing my mindset on certain aspects, pushing a bit more to get those last few tenths.”
“Last year, I often felt, especially in qualifying, that I was just missing out on those few tenths.”
“Now, I’m starting to be right on the limit a bit more often, which is nice. And I’m always trying to find the next step to keep improving.”
Piastri’s only notable slip came at the season opener in Australia, when a sudden downpour sent him off track. It remains the only race this year where he hasn’t made the podium.
“There haven’t been many dips in form,” Piastri admitted with a smile.
“Obviously, Melbourne wasn’t good. Imola also reminded us that not everything will go perfectly this year. But since then, it’s been a strong, pretty strong progression. And I need to keep learning from that to improve more and more, because my rivals are tough.”
