Originally launched to celebrate Piastri’s success by offering a free burger whenever he finished in the top three, the campaign now rewards fans simply when he completes a race, regardless of position.
The promotion, which runs through mid-December, was reintroduced alongside the relaunch of the limited-edition Oscar Piastri 81 Burger in September, having first debuted earlier in the year ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
At the time, Grill’d Managing Director Simon Crowe said the partnership reflected “the next generation of Australian sporting excellence,” praising Piastri’s early-season form as a perfect match for the brand’s performance-driven image.
The campaign’s focus shifted as Piastri’s podium streak slowed.
Since his last podium at the Italian Grand Prix in early September, the 24-year-old has endured a string of frustrating weekends, including a crash in Baku, further incidents in the Sprint races in Mexico and Brazil, and a costly penalty in Sao Paulo that left him fifth behind teammate Lando Norris, who now leads him by 24 points in the championship.
The decision to alter the Grill’d promotion comes amid growing chatter online linking the burger deal to Piastri’s downturn in form.
Fans on social media have jokingly labelled it the “burger curse,” claiming the driver’s title hopes began to crumble after the brand relaunched the offer in September.
Motorsport commentator Taylor Kitchen fanned the flames of the theory in a viral video, noting that “right after his last podium in Monza, they [Grill’d] posted about it on September 16, and since then nothing.”
Others joined in on X, with one user writing: “Are we going to talk about how that demonic Australian carrot burger place needs to end their podium offer,” while another joked: “At this point Grill’d is gonna change their Piastri burger promotion again to ‘free burger after Oscar finishes the formation lap.’”
Grill’d’s partnership with Piastri remains one of the brand’s highest-profile sporting deals.
The Melbourne-based company first teamed up with him ahead of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, with the limited-edition burger designed by Piastri himself.
The Oscar Piastri Burger features a Wagyu beef patty on a charcoal bun with papaya sesame seeds, super-charged OP chipotle mayo, crispy bacon, aged cheddar, shredded carrot, cos lettuce, and Spanish onion.
“Both Grill’d and I were born in Melbourne and I’ve always been a long-time fan of their healthy and nutritious burgers,” Piastri said at the time of the burger’s launch.
“The burger I’ve created with the team is not only packed with protein and low sugar but it tastes great.”
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