The Australian driver from Melbourne arrives at the Hungarian Grand Prix on a high, having secured his sixth victory of the season in Belgium. This win has helped <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/tag/oscar-piastri/”>Oscar Piastri take the lead in the drivers’ championship standings, maintaining a close rivalry with his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris. The Hungaroring circuit holds personal significance for Piastri as he celebrated his first Formula 1 grand prix win there just one year ago.
McLaren has not secured a drivers’ championship for 17 years, the last being in 2008 when Lewis Hamilton famously clinched the title at Interlagos after a last-lap overtake on Timo Glock that denied Felipe Massa the championship. Piastri now stands determined to break this long drought with the team.
Piastri’s Confidence in Challenging for the Title
When questioned about his chances of winning the championship, Piastri expressed strong self-belief in his ability to succeed despite recognizing the challenges ahead. He emphasized the importance of maintaining consistency throughout the season while acknowledging that flawless weekends are rare in racing.
I have a lot of confidence in myself that I can do it,
he said.
He added that recent performances, especially the pace shown at Spa, have boosted his confidence and pride. Piastri is optimistic about sustaining this momentum going forward but remains realistic about the difficulty of the task.
I’m more than capable of continuing that for the rest of the year. I’m confident that I can do it, but it’s not going to be easy.
Intra-Team Rivalry and External Competition
Piastri highlighted his main rival as teammate Lando Norris, pointing out the natural competitiveness between them given they share the same car. Despite this, Piastri remains cautious about dismissing other teams and drivers, acknowledging that fierce competition can arise at various circuits.
Every weekend now, or the last few weekends anyway, it has been Lando and I,
he explained.
Clearly, Lando and I are in the same car, which is the best, and he’s naturally going to be the close competition.
He anticipates continued challenges from top teams like Ferrari, Mercedes, and drivers including Max Verstappen, emphasizing his focus on winning races rather than on specific opponents.
I expect our competition to still be strong and put up a good fight, especially at certain tracks through the rest of the year,
Piastri said.
Whether that comes from Max or Ferrari or Mercedes or someone else, we never really know.
I’m not too concerned about what happens in that. I’m just trying to win each race and extend the lead.
Balancing Speed with Consistency in a Tight Championship Battle
With ten races left after Hungary, Piastri recognizes that the championship is entering a critical phase where both speed and consistency are essential. He stressed that finishing reliably second is insufficient at this competitive level; victories require taking risks while minimizing mistakes.
You can be consistent, but if you’re consistently coming second, that’s not very useful,
Piastri remarked.
He acknowledged the inherent danger in pushing for top results but insisted that cautiousness alone will not secure a title in a field as competitive as Formula 1.
You need to have both. At the level of the field and the level of my teammate, you need to bring your best.
He added that mistakes can happen when pushing limits but the key is to execute at the highest level possible.
Of course, you try and execute as best as you can, but you need both to win the championship. You can’t just rely on one.
Team Dynamics and Racing Freedom Within McLaren
Piastri emphasized that since the beginning of the season, drivers have been allowed to compete freely within McLaren, a practice he supports even with the championship stakes so high. He referred to historic rivalries such as that of Senna and Prost to highlight how McLaren’s current culture promotes healthy competition without conflict.
We’ve been free to race from race one,
Piastri confirmed.
Everybody knows the history of Senna and Prost and that rivalry, and other rivalries outside of McLaren. You don’t really need an example to set the culture that we have at the moment.
He believes that maintaining a positive team atmosphere is vital not only for current success but also for building a sustainable future in Formula 1.
We’re both very conscious that we want this opportunity of having the car and the team in this position for many years to come.
He explained that beyond driving fast, contributing to good morale and confidence within the team helps keep the environment productive and focused.
The best way we can help as drivers apart from driving fast is by giving the team good morale and good confidence and making it a good team environment.
Piastri concluded with a reminder to avoid conflicts seen in other rivalries by fostering mutual respect and understanding.
We’ve all seen how it can go wrong, but we have a lot of reasons to push for it to not go wrong.
Reflecting on Growth Since First Hungarian Win
Looking back to his maiden F1 victory at the Hungaroring last year, Piastri noted significant progress in his performance. Since then, he has added seven more wins, including six this season — a historic record for an Australian in a single Formula 1 campaign.
Piastri attributes his improved form to more consistently reaching his peak potential across race weekends, rather than relying on sporadic strong performances.
Last year, I felt like I had some weekends that were very strong and felt like I had enough to win races on my good days,
he shared.
He contrasted that with having had many average or poor races previously but now experiences many more strong weekends overall. This steady improvement has resulted from refining multiple aspects of his driving and preparation.
Being able to execute what I think is my best more and more often, that’s been the difference.