AA Premium feature: Webber ‘impressed by Oscar’s ambition’

Mark Webber has been right behind Oscar Piastri since 2017, and believes the McLaren driver’s calmness and ambition have been key factors in his rise to the top.

Piastri has taken the F1 world by storm in his third season in 2025 with four victories seeing him become the first Australian to lead the world championship since Webber in 2010.

Webber himself has been a key part of that rise as Piastri’s manager.

Read special Oscar Piastri feature in Auto Action Premium available here

However, the former Red Bull star is adamant the current McLaren youngster is blazing his own path to greatness, as evidenced by winning the last three Grands Prix on the bounce.

Ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend, Webber spoke to Auto Action as part of an exclusive Piastri feature in the new issue of Auto Action Premium.

Like everyone else in Formula 1, Webber is super impressed by Piastri’s calmness in all circumstances, but the manager believes that stems from the self-confidence the youngster has in his abilities:

“I think that it’s just the way he is – he refuses to get carried away. That’s it, because, I think, it’s also a reflection of what his ambition is and that’s how he’s rolling at the moment.

“Of course, he’s at the start, we believe, of a very, very long career, and people like Lewis, like Fernando, were different in the first three years of their careers than, of course, for the last three years, in terms of how the people view them as a character and, I suppose, someone to look up to.

“But, at the moment, for everyone, it’s impossible not to like how Oscar goes about what he does. He’s talking on the track, he’s very respectful, of course, of the opposition, but he doesn’t overplay their reputations. That’s clear.”

Piastri’s successes in the junior formulae clearly marked him as one for the future but, until now, Webber admits he’s not able to see where the limit is for his charge, as he’s still discovering a lot about the McLaren driver as he continues to develop as a driver and a person.

Webber explains that “at this level, even in Formula 1, being in the middle of the field, week in, week out is one thing. But then, when you have to operate on the first few rows, it’s another beast altogether.

“We saw that with lots of guys that can operate in the middle of the grid, but then, when the expectation and the opportunity to be, week in, week out, in all conditions, all tracks, all scenarios, to be right up there, it’s a different game.

“It’s really hard to understand if someone will, let’s say, convert. So, on that side, we’re still learning it rapidly … we’re learning very rapidly about Oscar.”

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