Johnny Herbert delivers Max Verstappen comparison in Oscar Piastri 'outwit' praise

Johnny Herbert sees similarities between Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, and believes the latter is doing enough to win the F1 drivers' championship this year.

Three victories in a row have vaulted the McLaren driver to the summit of the standings. In doing so, he has become the first Australian to lead the title fight since his manager Mark Webber did so in 2010 when he was racing for Red Bull.

To Herbert, the 24-year-old is displaying all the ingredients he needs to push on and take the crown, something Webber was unable to do with his team-mate Sebastian Vettel clinching the first of his four successive titles that year.

However, with Piastri's own team-mate, Lando Norris, enduring a tougher time in recent weeks, the former F1 driver feels the six-time grand prix winner is well poised to become champion.

The Briton highlighted how Piastri was able to "outwit" the heir to Vettel's throne in Jeddah last month, before he successfully overtook the Dutchman last time out in Miami for the lead.

"Oscar Piastri has just been able to show he's able to outwit Max Verstappen," Herbert, who was in the FIA's stewards rotation at the start of the year, told Beste Online Casino Nederland.

"His mental strength, his speed, his consistency and his race craft have been really impressive this season and he presents himself so well and he is so calm over the radio."

The three-time grand prix winner sees parallels between the two drivers, underlining their shared psychological toughness.

"Piastri is doing the job he needs to win this year’s championship," Herbert added. 

"He has a similar mental strength as Verstappen."