McLaren‘s Oscar Piastri revealed “I quite enjoy being in the position of being hunted” in the Formula 1 Championship fight as it proves he’s doing a strong job so far in 2025.
The 24-year-old has taken three wins from the opening five rounds in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and China, putting him narrowly ahead in the standings heading into this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.
But holding a lead in the Drivers’ standings in the just his third season of F1 hasn’t fazed the young Australian.
“To be honest it doesn’t really feel that much different,” Piastri said told select media including Motorsport Week on Thursday.
“Again I’m not really that concerned with that. I’m just trying to get the best performance I can every weekend and make sure I drive as well as possible, and make the car as good as possible.
The Australian dismissed any nerves about being the driver to beat, saying he relishes the added pressure that comes with the territory.
“I think, for myself I quite enjoy being in the position of being hunted because normally that means you are doing something right,” he said.
“I’m pretty relaxed, the gap is very small and we are only at round five or six now, so I’m not too concerned with that.
“But on a personal level, I’ve been doing a good job so far across different areas.”
Piastri happy with the variety shown in each victory so far
Piastri’s form marks a sharp progression from his rookie year, with a consistent run of strong race craft, clean execution, and composure under pressure.
While rivals have faltered, he’s quietly built momentum and believes the way he’s done it matters more than the lead itself.
“I think they said after Saudi I’m much more proud and satisfied with the work and the reasons behind why I’m leading the championship than actually the fact that I am leading the championship,” he explained.
“I think especially given that Melbourne didn’t go very well from a points point of view, I think it went well as far as execution goes, but considering I started with a bit of a deficit and I’ve pulled it back, I think that’s the part that I’m enjoying the most, is the reasons why I’m leading the championship.”
Piastri also highlighted the variety in his victories this year as evidence of both personal growth and a more well-rounded package at McLaren.
“I think we’ve done just a very solid job through the whole season,” he said.
“I think the three wins I’ve had so far have all looked slightly different. I think Bahrain was a very strong weekend, China was a similar weekend, whereas I think Saudi, I think the competition was closer. I think I didn’t have it all my own way that weekend.
“I’m proud of the fact that I have different tools at my disposal to try and win races. So I think that’s been a factor, and I think clearly the role of the team and the car players is quite significant.”
No matter the result in the Miami Sprint, where a maximum of eight points are available, Piastri will retain the lead of the Championship heading into Sunday’s Grand Prix thanks to his 10-point lead over McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.
Piastri will start the Sprint from second, having been pipped to pole by Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
READ MORE – Lando Norris denies Oscar Piastri has ‘momentum’ in F1 title race
