Oscar Piastri may be Formula 1\u2019s most understated character, but he\u2019s growing into his role in the spotlight\u2014without changing who he is.<\/p>\n
Last season, Piastri went wheel-to-wheel against his McLaren teammate Lando Norris for the world title. But even in the thick of the fight, Piastri gave little away emotionally.<\/p>\n
Oscar Piastri explains calm mindset behind F1 performances<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n He cheered his victories as he did his defeats, never raising or riled \u2013 even the moments of perceived injustice, such as Monza.<\/p>\n Told to hand second place to Norris in a situation not of his own wrongdoing, Piastri told McLaren: \u201cI mean, we said that a slow pit stop was part of racing, so I don\u2019t really get what\u2019s changed here, but if you really want me to do it, I\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n And he did, going on to defend the team in his post-race interviews.<\/p>\n Losing out to Norris in the final third in the championship as his 34-point lead was overturned to a 13-point loss, Piastri<\/a> was calm and collected as the final hammer blow was delivered in Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been a great season trying to beat each other, so congratulations,\u201d he said over the radio. \u201cWell done to everyone. Fantastic season. Thanks for all the work. Tried our best to get there, but it wasn\u2019t quite to be.<\/p>\n \u201cWell done everyone. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n Because that is how Piastri is.<\/p>\n Cool, calm, and composed.<\/p>\n Because that\u2019s how Piastri is as a person.<\/p>\n More on the F1 2026 championship<\/p>\n F1 2026: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between teammates<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2026: Head-to-head race statistics between teammates<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI certainly feel more comfortable now than I did in my first year of F1,\u201d he told Fox Sports.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s always been something that\u2019s pretty important to me, being just who I am off the track as well and not trying to force something that isn\u2019t me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always attached to performances on the track,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cI think often I find it very hard anyway to be kind of jokey or making shots at people and stuff if you can\u2019t back it up on track, and for me just being relaxed and being myself has always been how I am.<\/p>\n \u201cI think as you become more comfortable, you kind of make jokes about not doing the first two races of the year or stuff like that.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s just always how I\u2019ve been in some ways, but once you\u2019ve got some results and let\u2019s say some street cred to back it up, then you naturally feel a bit more comfortable, showing yourself more and not being maybe the super professional F1 driver all the time and letting your personality show.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s just how I am as a person, and I think everyone\u2019s unique in their own way.\u201d<\/p>\n Piastri\u2019s calmness has been billed by pundits, including former F1 driver Martin Brundle, as one of his strengths in Formula 1.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s solid, he\u2019s impenetrable sometimes Oscar Piastri,\u201d David Croft declared on Sky F1. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t get too flustered or excited or too down and depressed.\u201d<\/p>\n Brundle replied: \u201cThat calm head of his, when it comes down to a championship showdown, is going to pay such big dividends for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Alas, it didn\u2019t in 2025 as Piastri\u2019s season imploded after Monza, but the Australian is already being tipped as a future world champion.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n