Piastri hasn’t won a race in 402 days. This F1 legend thinks he’s still world champion material

To say it’s been a challenging 2026 for Oscar Piastri would be an understatement.

The Australian driver hasn’t won a race in more than a year and sits seventh in the F1 drivers championship – in a season marred by poor luck, errors and reduced pace.

But F1 legend and former world champion Damon Hill thinks Piastri can still win the championship in the future – so long as he’s in the right environment.

“It could be [at] McLaren,” Hill told this masthead.

“I think he’s digging himself out of a little bit of a flat spot at the moment. He performed well in Sepang [at the Bahrain Grand Prix]. But you can’t judge someone’s form on a race-to-race basis. It’s got to be throughout the season.”

Hill, the winner of 22 grands prix including the 1996 F1 world championship, travelled to Australia this month on a speaking tour, promoting his eponymous new documentary, Hill, which premieres at the British Film Festival this week.

Hill is uniquely qualified to offer Piastri advice.

Piastri narrowly lost the championship last year to teammate Lando Norris after a dominant first half of the season. Hill lost the 1994 championship by one point during the final race of the season in Adelaide, after a crash with Michael Schumacher, in one of the most controversial incidents in F1 history.

The now 66-year-old maintains Piastri has a “sense of destiny” about him.

“ I think he’s had to obviously regroup a little bit after not winning the championship last year. But you know, you learn a lot about the sport, and after a bit, you can start to take control,” he said.

Hill likened Piastri to F1 veteran Fernando Alonso, noting the 25-year-old was smart and aware of his environment.

“He knows what’s going on, but he’s still learning about the subtleties that can affect your career in Formula 1. That’s the bit that’s a bit of a mystery to most people. It’s a political environment as well as a sporting one.”

Hill also notices similarities between Piastri and three-time world champion Max Verstappen, who is renowned for his no-nonsense attitude both on and off the track.

The famously unflappable McLaren driver has a cool and calm demeanour. His podium celebrations are understated, and he is stoic, especially compared to his predecessor – fan favourite Daniel Ricciardo, who was beloved on the grid for his extroverted personality and humour.

“I mean, he [Piastri] is clearly not an extrovert ... I think he looks quite reluctant to have to do all the other silly stuff that apparently you have to do as a driver,” Hill said.

“I compare him more to someone like Max with that, in terms of ‘I haven’t got time for the silliness’.”

Hill stressed that he did not mean the comparison as a criticism. He admires the seriousness Piastri carries himself with.

“Lando [Norris] clearly has a personality which is easier to access. He’s willing to give a bit of himself a bit more, which I think Oscar’s not comfortable doing or doesn’t want to do.

“He wants to get on with the driving. That’s what he came for. I think I really respect that. I think there’s a tendency to want to make drivers into performing seals.”

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Hannah Kennelly is an award-winning sports reporter and Formula 1 writer at The Age.Connect via email.