Oscar Piastri has discussed the changes in his performance from last year to the current Formula 1 season and confirmed his focus on minimising mistakes for the remainder of the year.
The Australian driver currently leads the drivers’ championship with a nine-point lead over his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris and six grand prix wins so far this year.
“[I’ve been] developing a little bit in a lot of areas,” Piastri explained to F1.com. “Last year, I felt like I had some weekends that were very strong and felt like I had enough to win races on my good days. But there were a lot of average and sometimes bad days in between.
“This year has been full of a lot more good days. I have improved as a driver, but I think I’ve been able to get closer to what I think I’m capable of more often. That’s been the biggest thing. It’s not come from one specific area. It’s come from looking at lots of different things. Being able to execute what I think is my best more and more often, that’s been the difference.”
The fight for the drivers’ championship is heating up between Piastri and Norris, but the 24-year-old has proven time and again that he is able to maintain a level head in tense situations.
“The way you win races at the back end of the season is the same way as at the start,” he added.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
“You need to be faster than everyone around you and you need to make the least mistakes possible. That aspect doesn’t really change. Like I said, it’s great to be consistent, but if you’re consistently being beaten, that’s not a recipe for a championship. It’s a balancing act of both.
“Obviously, if you’re a robot, you’d be able to be as fast as possible and make zero mistakes, but we’re all humans, so that’s not possible. There is going to be an element of minimising mistakes, but you need to be fast at the same time, and you can’t afford to sit back. If you try to take that approach, you’ll end up being beaten.”
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