Villenueve calls Oscar Piastri a "golden child". [Credits: X/ Oscar Piastri]

Former Champion Highlights Major Advantage for McLaren Driver!

Is Oscar Piastri able to get away with penalties?

Villenueve calls Oscar Piastri a "golden child". [Credits: X/ Oscar Piastri]

The Formula 1 racing scene is full of new superstars. Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc are leading the way in F1. Now that 2025 rookies have arrived, we also have a fresh set of drivers to look forward to in the upcoming years.

Productive weekend pic.twitter.com/QsGQ3iGKqa
— Oscar Piastri (@OscarPiastri) May 5, 2025

However, there has always been a hint of biasness towards drivers. The fact that many drivers get different penalties or warnings is major issue in F1. The inconsistency of Formula 1 and FIA’s workings have constantly brought frustration. Even the fans are annoyed over this behaviour from FIA.

As the championship battle for the 2025 season gets stronger, Jacques Villenueve talks about a key player. Villenueve mentioned his best advantage for the 2025 F1 championship, which might help him win.

Also Read: Monaco GP 2025: Oscar Piastri is Not in Favor of “Two-Stop” Rule!

Oscar Piastri is the “Golden Child”- Jacques Villenueve

It is a well known fact that Piastri already has a major fanbase in Formula 1. The Aussie is compared to the likes of Kimi Raikkonen. He is also being mentored by Mark Webber. Piastri is famous for his nonchalant attitude on and off the track.

Oscar Piastri is 'loved', and it could help him win the #F1 2025 title… pic.twitter.com/iYGyib1IIt
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) May 13, 2025

It is obvious that compared to other drivers, Oscar Piastri is not seen frustrated as often. He has his bad days and he has his mistakes. Although, he hardly swears or complains over the radio. Villenueve considers this behaviour from him a secret advantage. This shall help him get away with penalties more easier compared to other drivers.

“He’s like the golden child right now. If something happens, he won’t be given penalties as easily as Max Verstappen is, for instance. That’s also a big help in fighting for a championship. It reminds me of when we had Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg fighting for the championship. If they made the same move, Nico would get a penalty. In the following race, if Lewis made the same move, he wouldn’t be penalised.”

Villenueve’s words upset the fans. But, there is a lot of weight in what he said. There are imbalances in FIA’s decisions. But, Piastri’s lovable personality and clean image is sure to help him get away a few times.

The opposite is also true that Oscar Piastri is very talented. Even Max Verstappen agreed to the fact that Piastri hardly commits a mistake. So, the fact that Piastri is not being penalized can also be attributed to his consistent racing.

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Formula 1 2025 Season

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I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.