Oscar Piastri claimed his third Grand Prix win of the season on Sunday to move top of the world championship after five rounds and left reigning champion Max Verstappen mightily impressed
Oscar Piastri of the McLaren F1 Team and Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing Honda celebrate on the podium during the race of the Saudi Arabia GP, the 5th round of the Formula 1 World Championship, at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on April 20, 2025.
Max Verstappen has pointed out two things which he really likes about Formula 1 title rival Oscar Piastri. After a controversial start to Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Piastri pipped Verstappen to claim his third win of the season.
The McLaren star’s latest 25-point haul moved him top of this year’s world championship standings after five rounds of racing, with team-mate Lando Norris now second. Verstappen, who’s won the last four championships, remains third, having been ahead of Piastri until he received a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an unfair advantage at the first turn of lap one.
But that didn’t stop pole sitter Verstappen from praising the 24-year-old, who’s only been in Formula 1 since 2023. The Dutchman complimented calm demeanour and his ability to deliver ‘when he has to’.
“Last year was his second year, now he’s in his third year and he’s very solid,” Verstappen hailed. “He’s very calm in his approach, and I like that.
“It shows on-track. He delivers when he has to, barely makes mistakes – and that’s what you need when you want to fight for a championship