Oscar Piastri has been having a strong season in Formula 1 this year, quietly showing that he can handle the pressure of leading the championship without letting it affect his performance.

Since he took the lead after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he has stayed on top, currently sitting on 336 points, which is 22 more than his McLaren teammate Lando Norris and 63 more than Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who has been getting stronger in the second half of the season after the team introduced a new floor in Italy. Even with Verstappen’s late surge, Piastri has been able to hold his position, showing that he can combine speed with consistency, which is exactly what you need to fight for a title.

The season has not been completely smooth for Piastri, as he has faced some challenges along the way, including crashing in qualifying and during the opening lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but instead of letting these setbacks hold him back, he has used them to learn and improve.

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That quality has not gone unnoticed, with former Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone praising the young Australian’s attitude and maturity in an interview with sport.de, saying: “He gets the job done. When he makes mistakes, he knows he’s made them and doesn’t blame others or come up with excuses. He makes sure he doesn’t repeat them. He doesn’t make them twice.” Ecclestone added that this ability to learn quickly from mistakes is one of the reasons Piastri is considered one of the strongest drivers on the grid.

According to Ecclestone, Piastri is the best driver after Max Verstappen, and he also stressed how important it is that the Australian is in the right team at the right time, with the right people around him to help him succeed.

“There have certainly been some drivers who were better than today’s drivers, but who never had the chance to show their strengths to anyone. Zak Brown is doing a very good job… Piastri and Norris are in the right team at the right time,” Ecclestone said, underlining that both talent and opportunity matter in Formula 1.

With his focus, speed, and willingness to learn from every mistake, Piastri has all the qualities needed to secure his first world championship and cement his place among the sport’s top drivers.