McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has stated F1 is currently seeing its best version of Oscar Piastri.
His comments come after the Australian scored a second-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix at the most recent round of the ongoing season.
It marked Piastri's first grand prix entry this year as pre-race issues forced him to retire before the start of the opening two events.
However, he bounced back with a run to the podium at Suzuka, showcasing strong pace throughout the weekend.
His efforts earned high praise from Stella, who stated Piastri was operating at a higher level than ever before from the third-year driver.
“Despite Oscar not having started the two main races at the start of the season, based on what we have seen in testing, in practice, in qualifying, based on his overall attitude and mental state, we are seeing the best version of Oscar - the strongest Oscar since he has been in Formula 1," said Stella.
"Finally, he had an opportunity to demonstrate it and he has done it to the full extent.”
Piastri's early-season frustrations started with a pre-race crash at the opening round in Australia, his home event.
Stella commended his driver for how he has bounced back from the adversity of such a setback.
“Having gone through two races, especially in the home race, where you are not in condition to start, for a situation that was completely avoidable, it can really bog you down,” he said.
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