Mika Hakkinen praises Oscar Piastri’s talent and style. Mika Hakkinen praises McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

Piastri: a mixed 2025 season

During the first half of the 2025 Formula 1 season, Oscar Piastri led the drivers’ championship and quickly established himself as one of the most talented young drivers in the paddock. His nine career wins, achieved in a relatively short time, have already drawn attention across the grid. Although the Australian experienced a challenging second half of the season, his talent behind the wheel of the McLaren impressed even a two-time world champion from the same team: Mika Hakkinen.

Hakkinen praises Piastri

In an interview with Speedcafe, the 44-year-old Finn highlighted what stands out most about Piastri’s skills, ahead of the Australian’s home Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 6–8. Hakkinen commented, “First of all, Oscar has a great personality. A good guy, really down to earth. He has enormous talent and can control the car very well. I think the cars and tyres are one of the biggest challenges in Formula 1 these days, and Oscar has been able to manage the tyres very smoothly. I always struggle a little to find the right words, because Oscar has driven brilliantly. No doubt. He is incredibly consistent.”

Recognizing the mistakes

While emphasizing Piastri’s strengths, Hakkinen also acknowledged the errors the young driver made in the second half of 2025, which ultimately influenced the championship outcome in favor of Lando Norris. “Something happened to Oscar, and only he can answer why these mistakes started happening, and why he couldn’t maximize his performance. You can’t have two world champions in the same team. There can only be one world champion. Lando was winning the title, but my mind kept thinking that Oscar is a great driver, a fantastic driver,” said the McLaren ambassador.