Outside Line: Piastri Just Gets Better and Better and Better

Both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz looked destined for a podium until Sergio Perez and the Spaniard crashed out of contention. But then, of course, there was that Piastri bloke and his McLaren, ready to spoil the Red party.

Adding to Ferrari's woes, it was not to be a win for Leclerc, as he came up against an increasingly impressive Piastri in a very handy McLaren around Baku. The 23-year-old Australian was a joy to watch—not only in qualifying, where he split the Ferraris to claim a front-row start—but also in the race, getting off the line well, as he tends to do these days.

Piastri's pursuit of Leclerc was relentless and calculated. He probed and pressured at the exact right moments. It was pure, pure pressure, which Leclerc absorbed and managed with skill. But after the pit stops, Ferrari somehow engineered an 8.0-second gap down to just over a second—something of a lifeline for Leclerc.

On lap 20, the McLaren driver made one of the moves of the season by pouncing for the lead into Turn 1, then defending brilliantly for another half-lap. Piastri remained in the lead, essentially, until the very end—but not without an enormous fight.

A couple of times, Leclerc was far closer to the McLaren than Piastri had been when he made his move. Yet, the Ferrari couldn’t find a way past. Every time Leclerc wound up the wick to attack at the end of the main straight, Piastri defended expertly until the Old Town’s narrow section offered him a brief respite lap after lap. Both driving at the highest level and flat out, uncompromising.

I’ve always said that the true greats improve with every race, especially when they’re young. The rate of improvement is enormous. Think back to a young Fernando Alonso, a young Lewis Hamilton, a young Sebastian Vettel, or a young Max Verstappen. They all got better and better. Some still do.

One could argue that Alonso and Hamilton may have peaked in terms of consistency when driving bad cars. But give them a race-winning car, and they’ll be there like clockwork. They’ve had so many races—why bother with a sh!tbox?

Piastri, of course, is at a completely different stage in his career. He reminds me of a young Lewis, a young Max, a young Fernando. At the same time, he’s making Lando Norris work very hard for his money. And we all know how good Norris is—perhaps the only driver of the current bunch who could be considered not far off Verstappen, who, in my book, is the benchmark of this current era.

That said, Piastri is looking just as good, if not better. Some are saying his temperament is even stronger. Norris, though fast, can be questionable, as he reveals much of his personal side while embracing social media, where he is a true star.

But of real importance to us as F1 fans, Norris is a very, very quick driver who perhaps overanalyzes things and is too available in the public eye. In contrast, Piastri is more subdued and uncannily unshakable.

Piastri was undoubtedly thrilled to win the race, but compared to the bell-ringing and exuberant celebrations we’ve seen from other drivers, Piastri’s reactions are cool and calm. He is absolutely his own man, unlike any modern-era driver I can pinpoint. It’s a privilege to watch him evolve and set the benchmark for what rookies should aspire to in their second season in the top flight.

His first season was one of learning, but now he’s in the game. With two wins to his name, Piastri has more than arrived—he’s here for the long term.

The same can be said for the two rookies in the field. Both Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman outshone their more experienced rivals on a very tricky track. The two new kids on the F1 block gave the old boys a lesson—not only in qualifying but also in the race. It was truly a standout performance by this young trio, the oldest of whom is Piastri at just 23. The future looks bright!

Finally, big credit must go to McLaren CEO Zak Brown, who made some bold calls to get Piastri to Woking. They probably broke the bank—not only to offload the underperforming Daniel Ricciardo, who was outclassed by Norris—but also to wrench this huge talent from Alpine, with Mark Webber firmly in Piastri’s corner.

Looking back, no doubt McLaren is content with whatever was spent. The investment to pull Piastri from the sh!tshow that Alpine has become to the winning confines of McLaren was worth every penny. Zak Brown gets the Oscar for the poach of the century.