Piastri: a 2025 of two halves
Leader of the world championship standings in the first half of the 2025 world championship, Oscar Piastri is one of the most talented drivers in the Circus, as demonstrated by the nine victories achieved in his still short career. Regardless of the crisis of results encountered in the second phase of the last championship, the talent of the McLaren Australian has particularly impressed another star of the Woking house and two-time world champion with the same team: Mika Hakkinen.
Praise from the ‘Flying Finn’
In an interview with Speedcafe, the 44-year-old highlighted what he appreciates most about the Australian’s qualities, as he prepares to take to the track in his home GP in Melbourne from March 6 to 8: “First of all, Oscar has a great personality. A good guy, really down to earth – commented the ‘Flying Finn’ – he has great talent and really manages to control the car very well. I think the cars and the tires are one of the biggest challenges in Formula 1 these days, and I believe Oscar has been able to manage the tires in the best way and in a smooth manner. I always struggle a bit to find the right words, because Oscar has driven beautifully. There is no doubt. He is really very consistent.”
Read more The Honda plan, HRC president speaks: “We are studying F1-MotoGP synergy”
While highlighting Piastri’s characteristics, Hakkinen nevertheless acknowledged the mistakes made last year, which proved decisive for Norris’s world title win: “Something happened to Oscar, and only he can answer that question – added the McLaren ambassador – because these mistakes started to occur and he was unable to maximize his performance. You can’t have two world champions in the team. There can only be one world champion. Lando (Norris) was winning the title, but my mind kept thinking that Oscar was a great driver, a fantastic driver“.
Read more Start chaos, Sainz sure: “There are no dangers. But 3-4 positions can be gained”
