Piastri dismisses 'cherry-picked' F1 success after Azerbaijan GP win

Oscar Piastri has waved away the fact he is the highest-scoring F1 driver over the past seven rounds, saying "cherry-picking" statistics "doesn't mean much" to him.

Since the Spanish Grand Prix - Max Verstappen's last victory, coincidentally - the Australian has added 135 points to his 2024 tally, over 30 points more than the next driver during that period, McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.

Whilst his team-mate has taken 104, only two other drivers have scored more than 90 - Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen with 96 and 94, respectively.

But the 23-year-old was quick to distance himself from such statistics, underlining that any success is not purely down to him.

When that seven-race run of form was put to Piastri and he was asked if he now feels he is building momentum, responding to media including RacingNews365, he said: "Yes and no.

"Someone else has probably scored the most in the last eight races. For me, cherry-picking these kind of races [statistics] doesn't mean much to me.

"I think I have had a good run through the European part of the year and now continuing, but... It's not just down to me.

"We've had a car that's been very quick and consistently quick in a lot of places. And even if we've not necessarily been the outright quickest everywhere, we've been in with a chance everywhere."

Piastri - Things 'clicking a bit more'

Piastri put on an assured display during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, beating pole-sitter Charles Leclerc with an audacious - and winning - move up the inside at Turn 1, before subsequently putting on a defensive masterclass to keep the Ferrari at bay.

The now two-time grand prix winner also highlighted the contribution of those around him to the victory effort.

However, he did concede things have been "clicking a bit more" during his second season in F1.

"I think [Azerbaijan Grand Prix] was definitely one of those [races] where we weren't necessarily the quickest, but we had a car that could put us in the fight," Piastri said.

"We had a pit stop that could put us in the fight. We had some teamwork that put us in the fight. And it all managed to pay off.

"It's obviously not just down to me, but I feel like I've been driving well. It's been clicking a bit more for me this year in terms of the things I want to work on from last season.

"And you combine that with a car that's capable of winning, and results like this are possible."