Max Verstappen praises Piastri's calm and consistent driving

Oscar Piastri excels in the first races of the season, and his runs did not go unnoticed even by his biggest rivals.

Speaking to reporters after the Jeddah race, Max Verstappen did not hide his respect for the Australian who took the victory from him in that race.

"I said it before, people sometimes forget – last year was only his second season, now he's in his third."

"He is very firm and extremely calm in his approach, I like him," said the Dutchman.

Verstappen pointed out that Piastri rarely makes mistakes, which according to him is a key characteristic of a driver who aspires to the title of world champion.

"You can see that on the track, he hardly makes any mistakes. That's exactly what you need to do if you want to fight for the title," added Verstappen.

He especially emphasized the importance of the support Piastri receives from former F1 driver Mark Webber.

"Having Mark Webber by his side helps him a lot. People learn from their careers."

"That's exactly the relationship my father and I have. Oscar is using Mark's advice brilliantly and it's great to see," said Verstappen.

Oscar Piastri's seasons

Piastri finished the previous season in fourth place in the drivers' standings, and McLaren ended Red Bull's two-year dominance in the constructors' standings.

The next Formula 1 race is in Miami. Qualifying is scheduled for May 3 at 22:00 local time, while the main race is the same time a day later.

This season seems completely different from everything we've seen, so we expect equally exciting races in the future. 

Verstappen, who dominated in previous years, will have an extremely difficult task this year. His opponents seem to be tired of the Dutchman's dominance, ready to finally take over the throne and stay in such a place for years to come.