Valterri Bottas and Mick Schumacher tip Oscar Piastri to challenge the F1 title
Two former F1 drivers agree that 2025 could be the year Australia has a Formula 1 champion, tipping Oscar Piastri for a massive campaign ahead of the Melbourne Grand Prix.
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The son of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher is tipping Oscar Piastri for big things at the season opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16 after getting a rare chance to test drive his lightning-fast McLaren.
Mick Schumacher, who drove for the Haas F1 team in 2021 and 2022, is one of the few drivers, other than Piastri and his British teammate Lando Norris, to sit behind the wheel of one of McLaren’s constructors’ championship winning cars.
He only got that chance because McLaren briefly signed him up to their pool of reserve drivers in 2023, but he knew straight away the car was something special.
“I can tell you, F1 is probably the best and single most amazing car to drive,” Schumacher told this masthead.
“And I’ve also driven the McLaren from last year. It was pretty impressive, so it’s great.”
Currently in Sydney to compete alongside Sebastian Vettel in the German team at the Race of Champions at Accor Stadium on Friday and Saturday, Schumacher has been paying close attention to Piastri’s fledgling career after they crossed paths in their teens.
When Schumacher won the F2 drivers’ championship in 2020 and was promoted to F1, it was Piastri who replaced him in the Prema Racing team, and succeeded him as the 2021 F2 title winner.
Piastri also followed Schumacher into F1, but has done far better on the circuit, winning two Grands Prix in his first two seasons, winning rookie of the year in 2023 then helping McLaren win the 2024 constructors’ championship.
No longer in F1 but still following the category closely, Schumacher said he’s expecting Piastri to continue his upward curve and challenge for the ultimate title this year.
“I think he’s a great guy and I think he’s super, super nice and does a great job in F1,” Schumacher said.
“Hats off to him. You can really see that he enjoys what he’s doing.”
Finland’s Valtteri Bottas, who is also driving at the Race of Champions, is another big fan of Piastri’s.
Twice runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in the world drivers’ championship, Bottas has been so impressed by Piastri’s rapid rise since joining F1 in 2023 that he expects to see him challenging for the title in 2025.
“I think he’s got a great chance this year, based on the performance of the teams that we saw in testing,” Bottas told this masthead.
“I think McLaren is still in a strong position, so I think he’s got a great chance to go up against Lando this year.
“It’s kind of a pretty big year for him.”
Bottas, who is a reserve driver for Mercedes this year, has been adopted as an unofficial Aussie since he started going out with Australian professional cyclist Tiffany Cromwell.
He’s developed a cult following because of his carefree sense of humour, appearing in a series of hilarious advertisements, getting a mullet haircut, stripping down to his budgy smugglers and eating meat pies.
Just 23, Piastri is also laid-back and Bottas says his relaxed approach will help the Australian on the track too, particularly if the championship comes down to the wire.
“I think it’s going to be a close year because the cars are more like evolutions from last year to this year,” Bottas said.
“Everyone is already quite focused for 2026 for the reg (regulations) change so I think it’s going to be extremely close and I don’t see any big swing on the performance gaps between the teams from last year.
“He’s very chilled, he’s a really nice guy and it doesn’t seem like he plays any games or does any politics.
“He’s there just to do his job and he’s a nice kid, still obviously gaining experience year by year but he’s shown that he’s got the speed.”
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