Ecclestone: Piastri is the best driver after Verstappen

      Bernie Ecclestone believes that Oscar Piastri is one of the best drivers in the world championship and is second only to Max Verstappen. According to the former head of Formula 1 management, the Australian possesses the important quality of being able to learn from his mistakes and does not try to shift the blame for failures onto others.

      "Piastri does his job, and when he makes mistakes he knows that he made them and does not try to blame others or come up with excuses," Ecclestone said in an interview with Sport.de. "Oscar tries not to repeat them and does not make the same miscalculation twice. He is the best driver after Max Verstappen.

      "There were, of course, drivers in their time who outclassed the current ones, but they never got the chance to show anyone what they were good at. But Zak Brown handles his tasks excellently and brings the right people into the team."

      With six races to go in the season, Oscar Piastri continues to lead the world championship; he has 336 points, 22 more than his teammate Lando Norris and 63 more than Verstappen, who is third in the drivers' standings.