Oscar Piastri explains why Alain Prost comparisons are not completely accurate, ‘quite different…’

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Oscar Piastri has been the most consistent of the two McLaren drivers so far this season, which is what has enabled him to lead the championship at the midway point of the 2025 season.

It has been an impressive season for the Australian after he took wins in four of the first six races of the year, and led the championship by over 25 points from Lando Norris at one stage.

Norris has slowly reeled him in after McLaren provided him with a car upgrade in Canada, with the Briton now just within 11 points of his teammate after winning three of the last four races.

Piastri’s performances have drawn comparisons to four-time world champion Alain Prost, who was known as the ‘Professor’ due to his calculated and often measured driving style.

But in an interview with Autosport, the Australian has explained why the comparisons are not completely accurate.

Oscar Piastri highlights reason why Alain Prost comparisons are not accurate

Prost was asked about the Australian at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, with the former McLaren driver highlighting: “I like the way he behaves, it’s a little bit like me. Thinking about when to do the right move for overtaking and being a little bit more clever.”

Responding to the comments, Piastri noted that they were “very cool” but explained why he thinks the comparisons are a little wide of the mark.

“I’ve had that comparison from a few people with Prost. I see it in some ways. It’s very different. Back in the day, there were a lot more reliability concerns and more driver-induced reliability concerns,” said Piastri.

“I think in some ways it’s quite different. But the mentality is the same, and if you’re fighting for first and second, it’s a seven-point difference, but if you don’t finish the race it’s potentially 18 or 25 points you lose. So you do have to finish the races, be consistent and not take unnecessary risks.”

How many points have Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris lost in 2025?

The last four races have seen a 1-2 for McLaren, but it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the squad after collisions and key mistakes in qualifying have handed the advantage to their rivals.

The most significant was at the Canadian GP when both Piastri and Norris collided on track, with the Briton forced to retire from the race.

Elsewhere, in Japan Piastri made a mistake in qualifying, which forced him to start on the second row of the grid and finish third.

Then in Imola, Piastri was relegated to third after being overtaken by Verstappen in a stunning move at Turn 1 and later losing out to Norris in the pits.