Fresh off his resounding victory at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix, McLaren’s ace driver, Oscar Piastri, has brushed aside the buzz about his potential to seize the F1 Drivers’ Championship title in the current season. The Australian sensation showcased a stellar performance at the Saturday qualifiers, securing pole position and maintaining his lead till the finish line on Sunday, with none of his competitors managing to dwindle the lead he had established.
Piastri’s nearest challenger was his teammate, Lando Norris, but the Brit’s ambitions were hampered by brake issues, effectively stalling his attempts to bridge the three-second gap. While McLaren undoubtedly boasts the fastest car on the track in 2025, Piastri is acutely aware of the volatile nature of the F1 season and the sheer pace of rival teams and drivers that can potentially disrupt the title race.
In the post-race press conference, Piastri shared that he has not yet shifted his focus to the championship race. The Australian highlighted the strategy employed by Max Verstappen in the 2024 season, emphasizing the importance of maximizing points while the car performs at its peak. As per Piastri, Verstappen’s successful championship run was predicated on his ability to build a lead while his car was at its best during the initial phase of the season.
Despite being fresh off his triumph at the Shanghai circuit, Piastri remains grounded. His unfortunate off-track incident in Australia, which cost him precious points despite spending most of the race in the second spot, has kept him 10 points adrift of Norris. He also trails behind Verstappen and George Russell in the drivers’ standings.
The McLaren driver insists that he is not yet considering the championship, choosing instead to focus on one weekend at a time. This, he believes, is the optimal approach to clinch a championship title – by extracting the most from each race weekend.
The China win marks Piastri’s third career victory, which he found less emotional but more gratifying due to the dominance he displayed. The Aussie believes he managed the race well, pushing when necessary and maintaining his cool under pressure. With his eyes firmly set on the races ahead, Piastri is clearly not letting the weekend’s success distract from his ultimate goal.
