‘Incredible’ racer who hasn’t driven an F1 car for two years told he’s just as talented as Oscar Piastri

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Oscar Piastri holds a commanding 25-point lead in the Formula 1 title race with seven weekends to go in 2025.

The drivers’ championship is still wide open, and even Max Verstappen has been allowed back in contention at recent races. He still has a long way to go to catch the McLaren duo, but anything is possible at this stage.

Piastri has been in command of proceedings since early in the season. He made a mistake at the season-opener in Australia, but has been largely faultless since. He has lost some momentum recently and needs a good Singapore Grand Prix to get back on track.

Following a crash and a difficult weekend, Piastri was carrying himself differently in Baku and appeared to deal with the adversity quite well. Piastri should be worried by Red Bull’s upgrade plan, which will see them bring more to his car if they think he has a chance. Right now, anything is possible.

READ MORE: Jolyon Palmer now thinks 22-podium F1 star is ‘better’ than both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Will Buxton says ‘incredible’ Alex Palou is just as good as Oscar Piastri

Red Bull have been linked with Alex Palou as they attempt to finalise their driver line-up heading into the 2026 F1 regulations. Picking someone to put alongside Max Verstappen is a very difficult task, highlighted by their lack of success doing so in recent seasons.

Palou is an experienced IndyCar veteran and has four titles in the last five years to his name. At the age of 28, he still has plenty of good years ahead of him, too. He doesn’t have much European racing experience, but did compete in two rounds of Formula 2 at the end of 2017, against the likes of Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.

Journalist Will Buxton has spent 2025 reporting on IndyCar and has been able to watch Palou closely. His last outing in a Formula 1 car came in 2023 at the Hungaroring, when he drove the 2021 McLaren car. Buxton believes that his talents can match those of Piastri.

“That person happened to be Alex Palou pretty much more often than anybody else because he’s just, he’s incredible,” he said. “I think he could step up over to Formula 1 and be competitive in an instant.

“I genuinely think he’s one of the most gifted drivers that I have seen in a very long time. Kind of up on a Piastri, just sub-Max Verstappen level. He’s absolutely brilliant.”

READ MORE: Three races Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri must now win to deny Max Verstappen the 2025 F1 title

How long is Oscar Piastri under contract with McLaren for?

Although Piastri could face similar Baku issues in Singapore, he still has a McLaren car, which has worked well at almost every type of circuit in 2025.

With new rules in for next season, it still bodes well for him and suggests that his team are capable of building a machine that is adaptable and works everywhere.

This March, Piastri was tied to a new McLaren extension, replacing a deal which was going to run out at the end of 2026.

It was termed a ‘multi-year’ extension, which means he’s likely to be with the Woking-based outfit until at least the end of 2028. He’s going to be in line to be involved in many more title fights, too.