Karun Chandhok sends four-word message to Oscar Piastri after winning the Spanish Grand Prix

It speaks volumes about the progress that McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has made this season that he would have been desperate to end a two-race run without a win at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri will feel he should have won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix had it not been for a mistake at the first corner that allowed Max Verstappen to race to victory.

Piastri then missed out to his McLaren teammate Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in Monaco, where qualifying once again decided the result of the race.

All eyes were on how the technical directive impacting the flexibility of each car’s front wing was going to impact Andrea Stella’s team.

Red Bull previously thought McLaren would be in trouble, but Piastri earning his fourth career pole position with the biggest margin of the season quickly suggested otherwise.

While Norris was caught out by Verstappen heading into the first corner, Piastri established himself at the front of the pack and never looked back.

He controlled the restart perfectly after the safety car was brought out, and while Verstappen caused chaos behind Piastri, he secured his fifth win of 2025 at the Spanish Grand Prix.

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Karun Chandhok congratulates Oscar Piastri after winning the Spanish Grand Prix

Piastri posted two pictures on his social media alongside the caption: “Time for a siesta,” after the race, earning plenty of plaudits from fans and former F1 driver Karun Chandhok.

The first was the Australian looking slightly dishevelled holding his trophy after a tough race in scorching heat.

He was then joined by chief mechanic Kari Lammenranta, who used to work for Red Bull, in his second photo, who was holding the medal he received from being McLaren’s representative on the podium on this occasion.

Reacting to Piastri’s post, Chandhok simply said: “Outstanding once again…. Bravo.”

Piastri has now opened up a 13-point advantage over Norris after the Brit came home comfortably in second following the chaos that ensued behind him.

He would have taken a lot of confidence from his win on the streets of Monte Carlo, but at the crucial moment in qualifying yesterday, Piastri had the all-important advantage.

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Nico Rosberg explains why Oscar Piastri has an advantage over Lando Norris

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur declared at the beginning of the campaign that there was a risk this year would become a qualifying season.

After nine races, it’s hard to disagree with him, as the Spanish Grand Prix saw the pole-sitter go on and win for the sixth time this season.

Verstappen’s mesmeric one-lap pace in Miami and Saudi Arabia, as well as the aforementioned incident at Imola, are the only examples of when the driver starting in first hasn’t stood on the top step of the podium.

Nico Rosberg thinks Piastri might be leaving Norris traumatised given the advantage he’s opened up over his teammate.

Studying his qualifying lap on Saturday, Rosberg immediately noticed Norris overdriving the car, while Piastri looked far smoother.

Mika Hakkinen has told McLaren how to deal with any team orders issues this year, but the lead they already have in the constructors’ championship should mean that’s never going to be an issue.

Instead, it’s a showdown between Piastri and Norris to win their first drivers’ championship and right now, the Australian is on top.