No Formula 1 driver has scored more points than Oscar Piastri since Austria – How the McLaren driver has “clicked a bit more” this year
Oscar Piastri is on a roll. The McLaren driver has only missed out on the podium twice in the last seven Formula 1 Grand Prix, finishing fourth. Otherwise, he has finished second three times and won the races in Budapest and Baku. He also finished second in the Spielberg sprint race
This makes the Australian the clear leader in terms of points scored since the Austrian Grand Prix. With 135 points, he is not only ahead of McLaren team-mate Lando Norris (104), but also leaves other top drivers behind him.
Lewis Hamilton has 96 points in the same period, while world champion Max Verstappen has just 94 – a clear sign of the strong form of McLaren and Piastri, who is now regularly involved in the battle for the top spot
Piastri: “It’s a tremendous team effort ”
Following his recent success in Baku, which also saw McLaren take the lead in the Constructors’ Championship, the 23-year-old is proud of the team’s progress and his own development: “When I joined the team last year, we were literally last. And now we’re leading the world championship.”
“That’s a huge credit to the team. We have managed to turn things around in my 18 months here, firstly in terms of improving the car, but also because it has helped me to improve myself,” emphasizes Piastri.
“Such results would definitely not have been possible for me 12 months ago. So it’s a tremendous team effort. And yes, I’m excited to see what the future holds. “
When asked about the fact that he has scored the most championship points in the last seven Grands Prix, the McLaren driver is modest: “I mean, in the last eight races it’s probably been someone else. For me, picking these kind of races doesn’t really mean much.”
“I think I had a good run during the European part of the season and it’s continuing now, but … It’s not just down to me. We had a car that was very fast and consistently fast in a lot of places,” he emphasizes.
Piastri draws comparison with his year as a rookie
Although McLaren was not always the fastest car, “we had a chance everywhere” – including in Baku. “It was one of those days where we weren’t necessarily the fastest, but we had a car we could fight with.”
“We had a pit stop that could put us in the fight. We had a team effort that got us into the fight. And it all paid off. So it’s not just down to me, but I feel like I drove well,” said the Australian, summing up his second Formula 1 victory after Hungary.
He also draws a comparison with his first year in the premier class and emphasizes: “This season things have clicked a bit more for me in terms of the things I wanted to work on last season. And when you combine that with a car that is capable of winning, results like this are possible. “
