Max Verstappen praised Oscar Piastri despite losing to the McLaren driver in the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix.
According to Racing News365, the Red Bull driver on Sunday, April 20, 2025, made a good start from pole position, but Piastri came narrowly ahead after they entered Turn 1. Verstappen, in his efforts to maintain the lead, skipped the opening chicane but instead got a five-second penalty.
Five seconds cost Dutch-Belgian motorsports racing driver second position and handed Piastri a victory.
Verstappen told the media after missing the Saudi Grand Prix first position, “I think I’ve said it before. People forget a little bit; last year was his second year. Now he’s in his third year, and he’s very solid. He’s very calm in his approach, and I like that.”
“It shows on track. He delivers when he has to, barely makes mistakes, and that’s what you need when you want to fight for a championship. And I think with Mark by his side, he’s helping him a lot. It’s great. People learn from their own careers, that’s what I had with my dad, and Mark is advising Oscar. At the end of the day, Oscar is using his talent, and that’s great to see,” he added.
Notably, it was the first time when Piastri moved into the lead of the championship in his third F1 season and under the guidance of his manager, Mark Webber, a former Red Bull driver.
