Piastri keeps focus amid Verstappen threat at British GP
Oscar Piastri Cautiously Eyes Championship Battle Ahead of British Grand Prix
Silverstone, UK – With the Formula 1 title race heating up at the British Grand Prix this weekend, Oscar Piastri remains cautious despite holding a commanding lead over reigning champion Max Verstappen. The Australian driver leads the Red Bull star by 61 points as the season approaches its halfway mark, but Piastri is refusing to count Verstappen out of contention.
While the battle at the top is tight — just 15 points separate Piastri from his McLaren teammate Lando Norris in second place — Verstappen’s championship defense suffered a massive blow in Austria. Contact on the opening lap led to the Red Bull driver’s first retirement of the season, leaving McLaren to further assert its dominance with its eighth victory in 11 races.
Piastri: “I Don’t Want to Rule Max Out”
Despite Red Bull’s struggles, Piastri remains cautious about dismissing Verstappen’s chances. Speaking at a McLaren fan event in London’s Trafalgar Square, Piastri told ESPN:
"I don't really want to rule Max out. Obviously the gap is quite big now, and I think the car has been very competitive. Austria was in some ways a pleasant surprise in how competitive we were. I think we expected to be strong, but not quite that strong.
"So, if we can keep that going, I think it's good for a two-way battle. But again, the championship is still long, still 13 races left. It's not an insurmountable gap by any means. So I'm not going to rule him out."
This season has already delivered thrilling wheel-to-wheel battles between Piastri and Verstappen, with on-track clashes for the lead in Jeddah, Imola, and Miami. Piastri praised Verstappen’s racecraft but acknowledged the challenge of racing against a four-time world champion.
"Definitely tough," Piastri said when asked about Verstappen as an opponent. "I think he's a driver that races extremely hard. Pushes the boundaries well-and-truly in terms of what's acceptable. But I feel for myself, I always try and toe that line as well. And try and always race people hard — fairly, but hard.
"Ultimately, he's a four-time world champion for a reason. And one of those reasons is because he's very good at wheel-to-wheel battles. I've definitely learned a few things this year. Held my own in a lot of cases — learned a few lessons in some other cases. But he's a tough competitor, definitely. But that's what we're all here to do and race for."
Piastri Thrives Under Pressure
Piastri’s rise to prominence in his third F1 season has been meteoric. Since taking the championship lead with a win in Saudi Arabia, he has showcased consistency that belies his relative inexperience at this level. Now positioned as the driver to beat, Piastri insists that he thrives under the pressure of being the "hunted."
"I prefer to be leading it, obviously," Piastri said. "The main place you want to lead it is at the end of the year, but I think generally I've been in this position before in my junior career. I always kind of say that normally if you're leading a championship, it means you're doing something right."
"So I'm enjoying it. Honestly, I'm just trying to go into every weekend trying to get the most out of that that I can. It's still very early in the year, so the championship picture is nice when you look at it, but ultimately it can change very quickly. So I'm enjoying being the hunted, but I'm just trying to get the most out of each week."
McLaren’s Dominance and What’s Next
With 13 races left on the calendar, the title picture is far from settled. As McLaren continues to showcase unrivaled pace, all eyes are on Silverstone to see whether Verstappen can claw back into contention or if Piastri will strengthen his grip on the coveted championship lead.
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