Piastri compared the overtaking mode to flipping a coin.

      With the transition to new generation power units in 2026, Formula 1 introduced a special overtaking mode, where a driver can briefly gain an additional 0.5 MJ of electrical energy by pressing the Boost button on the steering wheel.

      After the race in Silverstone, Oscar Piastri stated that this mode has increased the role of luck in racing even more than skill.

      "In fact, we all found ourselves in a very difficult situation," says the Australian McLaren driver. "Some overtakes look very good, while others do not at all. When battling with four drivers at once, especially in the early laps, too much has started to depend on luck due to the specifics of the overtaking mode.

      You have to make a decision very early on when to use the available battery power. In the sprint, I pressed the Boost button, got very close to George Russell on the straight, but ended up too close to him before the turn and had to brake.

      As a result, I wasted a large amount of energy almost for nothing. However, the only reason I used that energy was to keep Charles Leclerc behind me. But Charles didn't use that button, so it turned out that I had no need to activate the extra power. It seems we are just playing something akin to flipping a coin.

      Now it all depends on how the competitors around you use the extra energy. Sometimes it works in your favor, sometimes against. I gave a very telling example, but it's unpleasant when you try to make a really great overtake, and then you get overtaken right after."