Oscar Piastri appears to be suffering from what some fans are calling the “hamburger curse”. The Australian driver has not returned to the podium ever since one of his sponsors launched a curious marketing initiative, and supporters are now joking that it may be the cause of his sudden downturn in form.
Oscar Piastri’s performance seems to have dropped sharply in recent weeks. After a brilliant start to the season, the young Australian is now experiencing one of the most difficult periods of his Formula 1 career. Everything began with the disastrous weekend in Baku, where two consecutive incidents — one in qualifying and one in the race — triggered a negative spiral that Oscar Piastri has not yet managed to escape. And, according to some fans, the whole story might strangely be linked to a hamburger.
It’s all the hamburger’s fault
What worries fans is not only the lack of results. In Australia, a theory as bizarre as it is amusing has begun to spread: the supposed cause of Oscar Piastri’s decline is an actual hamburger. Ever since his official burger — the “OP81”, produced by Grill’d, the chain for which Oscar Piastri is an ambassador — was launched, his luck seems to have vanished. The burger, easily recognizable thanks to its charcoal-black bun and chipotle sauce, has become something of a cult item among fans, but also the symbol of a supposed curse.
The OP81 was first introduced in February, then temporarily withdrawn and relaunched in September, coinciding with the Italian Grand Prix. The promotion linked to it was certainly tempting: “A free OP81 burger every Monday after an Oscar podium”. The announcement came on 7 September, just after Oscar Piastri’s third place in Monza — still his most recent podium finish. Since then, five Grands Prix without a podium and a string of unlucky episodes have fuelled both humour and superstition among fans.
The burger chain changes the rules
The Australian burger chain has now updated the promotion tied to the OP81. From now on, the free burger will be available after any race finish by Oscar Piastri, no longer only after a podium. The offer is valid until 8 December for members of the loyalty program, covering the final three races of the season: Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. It is a clever way to keep the promotional campaign alive and perhaps to chase away the unlucky streak that seems to be following the McLaren driver.
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