Oscar Piastri may have just matched Mark Webber’s career tally of nine Formula 1 victories, but his countryman and manager is keeping both feet firmly on the ground when it comes to talk of championship glory.
The McLaren driver’s triumph at Zandvoort last Sunday not only brought him level with Webber’s win record, but also extended his buffer over teammate Lando Norris to 34 points in the standings.
Norris, by contrast, saw his race unravel with a late mechanical-related failure, marking his second DNF of the season.
Webber, who knows all too well the fine margins that define title battles after coming close in 2010 with Red Bull, was glowing in his praise for the 24-year-old’s display.
“Magnificent. He drove so well today,” Webber told Sky Sports F1.
“I don’t do many interviews about him, but I think today, big day for Australian motorsport. We’ve had Daniel [Ricciardo] win plenty, obviously Jack [Brabham] and AJ [Alan Jones].
“Oscar now, having this success so early in his career, is a real credit to him. He’s put a huge amount of work in, executed beautifully, and the team have done such a good job as well.
“I’m happy. We’ve had a lot of banter between the two of us. We have had a lot of banter. But’s he’s on me now, and I’m very, very, very happy.”
It's also worth noting that Piastri became on Sunday only the second Australian to achieve a race weekend clean sweep by claiming pole position, leading every lap, setting the fastest lap, and winning the race! Sir Jack Brabham previously accomplished such a feat at the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix.
Piastri himself was quick to play down any title talk after his win, saying there’s “a long way to go” – and Webber echoed the same note of caution.
“I think he’s going to, hopefully, keep going,” Webber said.
“Long way to go. I mean, we’ve got races like Brazil, where it rains. We’ve got Singapore, Azerbaijan, which are street circuits where anything can happen.
“So of course, like we say in cricket mate, we’d rather have the runs on the board than not. But, it’s a great day for him. He deserved the win.
“You’ve got to jag the points when you can. He’s had a few misses this year, out of his control.”
With nine wins already under his belt and an ironclad run of race finishes stretching back to 2023, Piastri has established himself as a consistent and ultra-reliable front-runner in the sport.
But while Webber admits his young charge has “executed beautifully,” he’s urging patience – and perspective – in a season still full of pitfalls.
For now, equalling his mentor’s win tally is a milestone Piastri will savor. But the real test, as both men know, lies in whether he can turn consistency into championship glory.
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