Piastri on right track to take the title, says Hamilton

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Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - May 22, 2025 McLaren's Oscar Piastri ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

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Formula One F1 - Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy - May 18, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton arrives ahead of the race REUTERS/Florion Goga

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UPDATED May 23, 2025, 02:05 AM

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MONACO - Oscar Piastri is doing what he needs to do to win a first Formula One title, the sport's most successful driver of all time Lewis Hamilton said on Thursday.

Hamilton won the first of his seven championships with McLaren and Australian Piastri has won four of seven races this season for the Woking team to lead teammate Lando Norris by 13 points ahead of this weekend's Monaco showcase.

Asked what he thought about the 24-year-old, and how hard it was to win a first title, Ferrari driver Hamilton said Piastri was doing a fantastic job in his third season in the sport.

"It's amazing to see McLaren doing so well, because that's where I started," he said.

"And also to see them so close, him and Lando, just these two great drivers.

"The pressure on both of them will be unimaginable, I would say, for most people that are not experiencing it or have not experienced it.

"He (Piastri) has been doing everything you need to do to win a world championship. I don't have any advice for him. Just to keep doing what he's doing."

Piastri won three races in a row -- Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Miami -- and qualified on pole at Imola last weekend only to miss out on victory after Red Bull's Max Verstappen seized the lead around the outside through turn one.

The Australian, who also won in China, ended up third with Norris second.

Piastri told reporters separately in the team's harbourside hospitality that calling Imola a reality check was too harsh but it had been a reminder that not everything would go to plan this season.

"I think maybe the (Red Bull) race pace was a bit of a surprise for us but the fact they were quick through the weekend was not a big surprise," he said. "So we've got to keep working hard."

Three Australians have won in Monaco -- the late triple champion Jack Brabham, Piastri's now-manager Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo.

"There's quite a lot of Australian history around this place," observed Piastri. "It would be nice to add another chapter." REUTERS

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