Piastri embraces his new 'ice-boy' image.
"I wouldn't personally refer to myself that way, but..."
The Formula 1 community is considering the idea of the newly dubbed "ice-boy" potentially becoming the champion this year. The crucial moment occurred in Saudi Arabia, where Oscar Piastri squared off against Max Verstappen at the first turn and ultimately secured the victory, surpassing his McLaren teammate Lando Norris to take the lead in the world championship.
The 24-year-old Australian's mother, Nicole, shared on 4BC radio this week: "He’s inherently cautious and very thoughtful and astute in his approach to everything. He challenged Max at the first corner, which was somewhat alarming. However, he normally avoids taking risks," she added.
Media outlets globally believe Verstappen and Norris now face a fresh challenge. The Spanish sports daily AS commented, "From the ’Papaya rules’ and McLaren's gentle approach has emerged a cold and ruthless driver capable of standing up to Verstappen and giving him a taste of his own medicine."
"Oscar Piastri is the leader McLaren requires," quipped Diario Sport. Meanwhile, Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport announced, "Formula 1 has a new leader - Oscar Piastri, the ice-boy of McLaren."
Piastri stated to Bild newspaper that he is indifferent about the nickname. "I wouldn’t personally use it, but I can see why others do," he remarked.
Quadruple world champion Verstappen was so incensed by his penalty on Sunday that he outright refused to share his thoughts with the media. However, he expressed admiration for Piastri, complimenting his "calm" and error-free performance. Verstappen also acknowledged Piastri’s manager, Mark Webber. "I think having Mark alongside him is a significant advantage," Verstappen said. "It’s wonderful. People learn from their own experiences - that’s what I had with my dad. But ultimately, Oscar is utilizing his talent, which is great to witness."
1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Webber has also negotiated a beneficial new contract for Piastri. "The contract stipulates that McLaren is not allowed to favor Lando over Oscar," he asserts. "As long as both are competing for the title, there will be no team orders, unless something crucial for the constructors’ championship is at stake or one of them encounters a technical issue."
Regarding Piastri’s new ‘ice-boy’ persona, his mother wholeheartedly agrees. She reminisced about a time they were biking together and she had a fall. Upon reviewing Oscar’s heart-rate data afterwards, she remarked, "Ah, so you do have a heart—we just don’t see it."
Piastri mentioned to Bild, "When I’m at home, I completely disconnect from Formula 1 and the surrounding chaos. There, I’m just Oscar."
Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko perceives Piastri as a genuine threat to Verstappen’s championship streak. "With performances like those in recent races," he told Speed Week, "he is positioning himself as the main contender. However, it will be interesting to see if Oscar can sustain this performance level throughout the season. Last year, there were one or two circuits where he lagged behind Lando Norris, either marginally or significantly."
Other articles
Would the CEO of McLaren prefer Sainz or Hamilton?
Formula 1 | McLaren's CEO Zak Brown stated that it would have been a difficult decision for him to select between Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz if there had been an opening at the Woking-based team.
Ecclestone stated that Red Bull might have been able to 'evade' the penalty.
Formula 1 | Red Bull has clearly opted not to contest Max Verstappen's 5-second penalty by choosing not to file a 'right of review'. The team (…)
Piastri embraces his new 'ice-boy' image.
Formula 1 | The world of Formula 1 is considering the idea that the newly dubbed ice-boy could become the champion this year. The crucial moment occurred in Saudi (…)