Oscar Piastri doesn’t rule out Max Verstappen from the championship fight, despite leading the Red Bull driver by 61 points before the mid-season at Silverstone this weekend.
Only 15 points separate Piastri at the top of the standings and his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, in second place, but Verstappen’s hopes of defending his title suffered a blow in the last round in Austria when he was forced to retire on the first lap after a collision.
McLaren also seems to have the competitive edge over Red Bull in terms of absolute pace, winning eight of the 11 races so far this season, while Verstappen has only won two.In Austria, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said the battle for the title seemed increasingly like a two-horse race between the McLaren drivers, but Piastri refuses to see it that way.
“Obviously, the gap is quite big now and I think the car has been very competitive. Austria was, in a way, a pleasant surprise in terms of how competitive we were. I think we expected to be strong, but not that much. So if we can maintain that, I think it’s good for a two-way battle. But, again, the championship is still long, there are still 13 races left. It’s not an insurmountable gap by any means. So I’m not going to rule it out,” Piastri expressed.Piastri has been involved in several wheel-to-wheel battles with the current champion, including fights for the lead in Jeddah, Imola, and Miami.When asked if Verstappen is a more difficult opponent to deal with than some of the others on the grid, Piastri added: “He’s definitely difficult. I think he’s a driver who races extremely hard. He pushes the limits in terms of what is acceptable. But I feel like I always try to follow that line as well. And I try to always race people hard, fairly, but hard. And, ultimately, he’s a four-time world champion for a reason. And one of those reasons is because he’s very good in wheel-to-wheel battles. I’ve definitely learned a few things this year. I’ve stood my ground in many cases, I’ve learned some lessons in other cases. But he’s a tough competitor, definitely. But that’s what we’re all here for and we race.”Piastri took the lead of the drivers’ championship with the victory in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and has maintained it ever since.Although this year only marks his third season in F1, the Australian doesn’t feel any extra pressure becoming the hunted before the second half of the season.I don’t want to rule out Max.
Oscar Piastri
I prefer to lead it, obviously. The main place you want to lead it is at the end of the year, but I think, in general, I’ve been in this position before in my junior career. I always say that, normally, if you’re leading a championship, it means you’re doing something right. So I’m enjoying it. I think, honestly, I’m just trying to make the most of every weekend I can. And 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 make the most of each week.
Oscar Piastri
