Why Oscar Piastri is second-best F1 driver – explained by Bernie Ecclestone
Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has praised McLaren's Oscar Piastri as being the second-best driver on the 2025 grid.
Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has identified McLaren’s Oscar Piastri as being the best driver on the grid in 2025, second only to Max Verstappen.
That’s thanks to Piastri’s ability to learn from his mistakes and to avoid trying to foist the blame on someone else, Ecclestone explains.
Oscar Piastri: Second in F1 only to Max Verstappen
Since he first took the lead of the F1 2025 drivers’ championship battle after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri has not relinquished his grip on it.
Currently sitting with 336 points after the conclusion of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the Australian driver remains 22 points ahead of teammate Lando Norris and 63 points ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who has mounted a late-season charge following the introduction of an upgraded floor at the Italian Grand Prix.
While Piastri has lately faced some of the first major stumbles of his career — such as crashing in both qualifying and on the first lap of the race in Azerbaijan — he remains the favorite for the championship in the eyes of many.
Including none other than Bernie Ecclestone, the 94-year-old business magnate responsible for transforming Formula 1 into the multi-billion dollar business that it is today.
More analysis from PlanetF1.com:
👉 F1 uncovered: Hidden details revealed under the lights in Singapore
👉 Russell to stay? Predicting the next move for every out-of-contract F1 driver
In an exclusive interview with sport.de, Ecclestone expressed his confidence in Piastri’s ability to secure the F1 2025 championship thanks to his ability to own up to his mistakes and learn from them.
“He gets the job done,” Ecclestone said of the Australian driver.
“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.
“He’s the best driver after Max Verstappen.”
That’s a sentiment that Ecclestone has been repeating for some time. Speaking to the Daily Mail in September of 2023, Ecclestone said of Piastri, “If I were a team owner, I think I’d get hold of the Australian kid.”
In that same interview, Ecclestone also admitted that “Max is the best driver ever. No doubts.
“I used to say Alain Prost. Now I would say Max. He’s the greatest. He is the brightest with regard to getting the best out of the car. He doesn’t muck around.”
That puts Piastri in some truly rarified company.
In his recent sport.de interview, Ecclestone noted that the duo at McLaren is “lucky” because they’re “in the right team at the right time.”
“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,” the former F1 boss said.
“Zak Brown is doing a very good job. I said recently, because I’ve known him for a long time: ‘I don’t think you’re very talented, but one of your talents is that you choose the right people to work for you.'”
Read next: Alex Palou reveals ‘upset and angry’ reaction to Piastri news in ongoing McLaren lawsuit
