Oscar Piastri’s ‘mind control’ likened to legendary F1 world champion

Martin Brundle has compared Oscar Piastri’s calm character to that of four-time F1 world champion Alain Prost.

Piastri produced a controlled, dominant victory in last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix to become F1 2025’s first repeat winner and close in on McLaren teammate Lando Norris in the world championship.

The Australian’s performance was labelled as “imperious” by Sky Sports F1 co-commentator Brundle, who likened his ability to keep his emotions in check to legendary world champion Prost.

“Bahrain gave us a great race once again, and positioned McLaren's Oscar Piastri as potentially the favourite for this year's world championship,” Brundle wrote in his column for Sky.

“Piastri has largely recovered the points deficit from his unfortunate excursion, and lengthy challenge in getting his car off the wet grass, in his hometown race in Melbourne, and he continues to add a calm confidence to his considerable speed.

“From the outside, it's as if his pulse is a flat line at all times, and I can think of few drivers who could or can control their emotions and mind like that. Alain Prost, 'the professor', would be one.”

Missed opportunity for Lando Norris

In the other side of the McLaren garage, Brundle believes it was a missed opportunity for early championship leader Norris.

The Briton fumbled his qualifying lap and ended up a disappointing sixth, before recovering to third to maintain his advantage at the top of the drivers’ standings, though his lead is just three points.

After a bruising and scrappy weekend in Bahrain, Norris worryingly admitted he is lacking confidence in McLaren’s MCL39.

“Lando Norris had a difficult qualifying and lined up sixth but would make a sensational start and flying first four corners to immediately claim third,” Brundle added.

“The problem was that in trying to maximise his grid position as far forward as possible, he overdid it, and was just ahead of his grid box, attracting a five-second penalty that he would serve at his first pit stop.

“Sometimes I can see drivers from the commentary box window wasting a metre or so of opportunity in their grid box, which is impossible to see from the cockpit, hence the big lateral yellow line to help them see out of the side of the car.

“Lando got boxed in on the safety car restart down into turn one between the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and lost out. Overtaking Ferraris would feature strongly in his race, but despite all of that, such was the pace of the McLaren he still should have been second.”