The 2025 Formula 1 season has been quite chaotic and one man seems to be handling it all with a lot of patience. McLaren’s Australian star, Oscar Piastri has not only become the team’s biggest title hope but also caught the attention of one of F1’s most powerful voices, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
Bernie Ecclestone’s Vote of Confidence
In a recent chat with sport.de, the 94-year-old former F1 boss called Piastri “the best driver after Max Verstappen,” which is a massive compliment considering Ecclestone has seen nearly every great driver that’s ever raced in this sport.
Ecclestone praised Piastri and said, “He gets the job done. When he makes mistakes he knows he’s made them and doesn’t blame others or come up with excuses. He makes sure he doesn’t repeat them. He doesn’t make them twice.”
It’s not the first time Ecclestone has backed the Aussie either as back in 2023, he told The Daily Mail that if he were a team owner, he’d sign Piastri in a heartbeat. However, he also mentioned that the best driver in the sport currently is Verstappen and Piastri comes after him. “He’s the best driver after Max Verstappen,” Ecclestone admitted about Piastri.
Piastri is currently leading the driver’s leader board and is 22 points ahead of teammate Lando Norris and 63 ahead of Red Bull’s Verstappen.
Oscar Piastri Learning To Handle the Heat
The battle inside McLaren has been one of the big stories of the season. Norris and Piastri have both been brilliant but things have gotten tense at times with team orders often forcing Piastri to give up positions even when he does not want to.
At the Italian Grand Prix, he had to let Norris pass after a slow pit stop and questioned the call but still followed it. Then at Singapore, the two made light contact at the beginning of the race and Piastri had to yield the position to his teammate once again.
That caught the attention of Lewis Hamilton and the seven-time world champion gave Piastri five simple words of advice, “Don’t give up any positions.”
Hamilton’s advice comes from experience since he went through years of tight fights at Mercedes and knows how every little moment can decide a championship. It’s a warning that Piastri might want to keep in mind as the season winds down.
McLaren Back in Business
For McLaren, this season feels like the payoff for years of hard work and under Zak Brown’s leadership, the team has rebuilt itself into a title contender with Piastri and Norris forming arguably the most balanced driver lineup on the grid.
Ecclestone even praised Brown for his efforts, “Zak Brown is doing a very good job. I said recently, because I’ve known him for a long time: ‘I don’t think you’re very talented, but one of your talents is that you choose the right people to work for you.’”
Piastri’s calm personality and ability to learn quickly have made him a key part of that success and even if he does not end up winning the driver’s title, the respect he’s earning from names like Ecclestone and Hamilton shows just how far he’s come.