The burger chain became an unlikely talking point in Formula 1 circles after fans began linking Piastri’s recent slump in form to the relaunch of the OP81 Burger promotion — which initially rewarded customers with a free burger every time the McLaren driver finished on the podium.

Since Piastri’s last top-three result at Monza in September, the 24-year-old has endured a series of crashes and costly results that have allowed teammate Lando Norris to take the lead in the championship.

Recently, Grill’d quietly altered its promotion, shifting it from “when Oscar podiums” to “when Oscar races,” as social media began joking about a supposed “burger curse.”

Now, the brand has joined in on the fun, issuing a tongue-in-cheek statement acknowledging the online buzz.

“We’ve seen the tweets, the TikToks, the memes… and yes, we’ve heard the whispers. Apparently, our OP81 Burger is ‘cursed’,” Grill’d said.

“We’d like to apologise. To those who believe in the ‘curse’. We didn’t mean to create a burger so delicious it could change the course of F1 history.”

 

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The company’s mock apology continued, saying: “The truth? We didn’t break F1, we just broke the internet. We call it flavour; you call it fate.

“And if great taste and giving Aussies a free burger is a curse, we’ll cop that. Just ask the 330,000 Aussies who’ve already devoured the OP81 burger.”

In keeping with the lighthearted tone, Grill’d announced a mock limited-edition “Sorry Not Sorry” merchandise line featuring shirts, caps and totes branded with slogans like “Certified Cursed” and “Sorry (Not Sorry) since 2025” — which it joked would be “coming never, probably.”

A “Sorry Not Sorry” Spotify playlist — featuring songs such as Sorry by Justin Bieber and Apologise by OneRepublic — was also launched to soundtrack the apology, alongside billboards in Melbourne promoting the campaign.

Despite the humour, Grill’d reaffirmed its backing for Piastri, calling him “our homegrown Aussie hero.”

“Sure, we can take a joke about a curse, but we’ll never bet against a guy like Oscar Piastri,” the statement read.

“At the end of the day, Oscar’s our homegrown Aussie hero and we’ll always be in his corner. Today, tomorrow, and forever – we’ve got your back, Oscar.”

Grill’d concluded by leaning further into the viral moment, adding: “We know a good story when we see one and we love that Aussies care enough to turn a burger into folklore.

“We’re not superstitious, just super delicious. And if flavour really does have that kind of power… we’ll keep serving it.”