Oscar Piastri is aiming to extend his lead in the Formula 1 World Championship as he returns to the track where he secured his first Formula Renault victory at Silverstone. The McLaren driver holds a 16-point lead over his teammate Lando Norris, heading into the next race.
Piastri is currently leading the 2025 F1 Driver Standings with 266 points, followed by Lando Norris with 250 points, and Max Verstappen with 185 points. Piastri recently won the Belgian Grand Prix, which further solidified his lead. The Australian driver has now won six of the 13 Grands Prix this season. This is more than any other Australian driver has managed in a single year.
The 24-year-old driver acknowledged the significance of returning to the site of his first Formula 1 win. "It's going to be cool going back to the scene of my first F1 win," Piastri stated. "But I'm sure once I'm there, I'm going to be very much focused on how I can try and win again, as you try and do every weekend".
Looking back on his first victory in Hungary last year, Piastri described the experience as a mix of pride and relief. He also noted that the achievement didn't fully register until the following morning. He also received a congratulatory message from Sebastian Vettel, which he considered unexpected and special.
Earlier in the season, at the British Grand Prix held on July 6, 2025, Piastri finished second, behind his teammate Lando Norris. Piastri had been leading the race but received a penalty for braking heavily behind the safety car. After discussions with the FIA, Piastri stated that he understood the situation better and would adjust his driving accordingly.
McLaren has adopted a policy of allowing its drivers to compete freely. McLaren's CEO, Zak Brown, believes it's going to be a "coin toss" every weekend to see which of his drivers comes out on top. Team principal Andrea Stella has also emphasized that team orders will not determine the outcome of the championship.
Despite the strong performance of the McLaren drivers, Brown cautioned against ruling out Max Verstappen from title contention. Verstappen is currently 81 points behind Piastri.
Piastri's journey to Formula 1 included winning the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup, as well as the FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2 Championships in 2020 and 2021, respectively. He is the only driver to win Formula Renault, Formula 3, and Formula 2 championships in successive seasons.