Oscar Piastri’s lack of defence against Max Verstappen was a major talking point after the previous Formula 1 race in Imola.
The drivers’ championship leader allowed Verstappen to surge around his outside with a bold late-braking move.
It was a statement of intent from the Dutchman, who has been forced to watch Piastri win on four occasions already this season.
McLaren have simply been too quick, but a recent upgrade may have helped bring the Red Bull driver back into the fight for the rest of the campaign.
The start was where the race in Imola was won or lost, with Verstappen making Piastri look like a Formula 2 driver on his way past on lap one.
Alex Brundle called Verstappen’s move ‘beautiful’ and it served as a reminder of just how special he can be when given the slightest of opportunities.
READ MORE: Oscar Piastri makes comment on Max Verstappen’s opening lap Imola overtake and laments McLaren’s ‘wrong calls’
Andrea Stella said Oscar Piastri could easily ‘over-defend’ against Max Verstappen
Part of what makes Imola such an exciting Formula 1 track to go to is the lack of forgiveness it has for the drivers. Gravel traps and a lack of run-off space punish mistakes.
Piastri’s Verstappen battle was ‘confusing’ to some, but his boss Andrea Stella defended his approach in an interview after the race.
Ex-Alpine boss Marcin Budkowski revealed to RacingNews365 the extent of Piastri’s situation during Sunday’s race.
“Andrea Stella, I had a chat with him and Polish TV guys, so I interviewed him after the race,” said Budkowski. “He said, ‘It’s Imola. If you over-defend here, you can easily end up in the gravel.’
“I felt fair enough, but there was a margin between over-defending and what Oscar did. Anyway, we forget sometimes [that] they are young drivers and it’s a lot of pressure, little things taken into account.
“It’s a good lesson, and Oscar is a clever guy and he will take that home and become a better driver because of it.”
READ MORE: Oscar Piastri delivers perfect four-word response on how he plans to battle Max Verstappen on track
Why Max Verstappen has one big advantage over Oscar Piastri in the 2025 Formula 1 title fight
It’s important to remember that after over 10 years, this isn’t Verstappen’s first rodeo at the top. He has already been involved in four title battles, winning all of them.
Piastri mastered one key area in Imola and is starting to develop some really strong consistency – the sort of form that could help him win a title.
However, he hasn’t had to cope with the intensity of a championship fight since winning Formula 2 back in 2021. He may be a bit rusty.
At some stage, there will probably be mind games involved, but the Aussie has already proven that he’s up to the task of dealing with those. He doesn’t appear fazed by very much.
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