Oscar Piastri Reveals Max Verstappen’s ‘Brutal’ Trait That He Shares

Oscar Piastri reckons that his driving style is not so different to Max Verstappen's aggressive approach in Formula 1.

Oscar Piastri Reveals Max Verstappen’s ‘Brutal’ Trait That He Shares

Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri (via XPB images)

Oscar Piastri has emerged as one of the main competitors to Max Verstappen for the 2025 F1 world championship. McLaren’s superior pace compared to Red Bull has helped Piastri remain ahead of Verstappen in terms of performance. Now, as the two battle it out for the title, the Australian driver has pinpointed the traits that they share on the grid.

Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri have been involved in multiple on-track incidents due to their similar style of pushing to the limit. While this has caused some momentary grudges between the two, they have remained respectful of one another outside the cockpit. Moreover, Verstappen seems to race cleaner with Piastri compared to some other drivers on the grid.

Oscar Piastri shared his thoughts on the similarities in his racing style to the four-time world champion. The Australian driver reckoned that his approach to the racing line was maybe a little less brutal as compared to Verstappen’s. Regardless, Piastri accepted that his approach was definitely not completely dissimilar to the Dutchman’s.

I feel like in all honesty, I have – maybe it’s a slightly less brutal approach – but it’s certainly not dissimilar.

Oscar Piastri told BBC Sport

Piastri further pointed out that he and Verstappen raced each other in a very similar way. This was the reason behind their being involved in some risky situations on the track. The Aussie explained that their racing style was very robust and uncompromising. The 24-year-old acknowledged that they pushed their limits to an extent without causing a big collision.

Max and I race each other in quite a similar way. It is very robust, uncompromising, and I think we both push the limits to an extent.

Oscar Piastri added

Oscar Piastri holds ‘deep respect’ for Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen is notoriously known to push drivers to their limits and force them into making mistakes on the track. However, Oscar Piastri has remained resistant to Verstappen’s tactics as he can easily figure out the latter’s tricks. Owing to the multiple hard battles this year, Piastri highlights that this has helped the two know each other beyond their performances on the track.

Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Jack Doohan in Australian GP press-conference (via IMAGO)
Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Jack Doohan in Australian GP press-conference (via IMAGO)

Piastri insists that he always tries to be fair and not overstep the mark while racing other drivers on the grid, especially Max Verstappen. The Australian driver accepts that there is a very fine line between good and hard racing and just driving erratically against the rivals. Finally, the 24-year-old declares that he and Verstappen share a deep sense of respect towards one another, more so due to their tough battles.

I always try to be fair, but it’s a very fine line between good, hard racing and just overstepping the mark, and it’s always difficult to find that balance. I feel like both of us have a lot of respect for racing each other. We know what to expect, especially after a few battles this year.

Oscar Piastri noted

The 2025 season has peaked in competition at the forefront due to multiple drivers looking extremely competitive. Even Lando Norris seems to have found his lost pace and is competing with Piastri and Verstappen for the race wins. Time will tell which driver emerges victorious in the championship this year, as anything can happen in the remaining 16 races.

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