Piastri won the Bahrain Grand Prix with a controlled drive from pole position, his second such success of 2025.
The measured performance in Bahrain followed a dominant drive in China as the Australian emerged as a genuine title challenger to his McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
“Four wins now, 13 podiums, so early in his career is of course a really huge feather in his cap,” Webber told the F1 Nation podcast.
“As we know, you can have the machinery but it’s often not easy to convert those opportunities.
“He’s converted the two poles straight away, so I think what we’re seeing quite early in his career is a job well done so far.
“All the wins, when you’re lucky enough to win a few like he has already, they can be a bit different, and that one was probably the most comfortable one he’s had, but there’ll be more stressful ones in the future.
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“This whole weekend went very smooth for him. It’s a track which, again, was one that needed work, like Shanghai, and he’s won on both of them, so that’s another positive.”
Piastri showed glimpses of his potential in his rookie season, building on that en route to two wins last year.
In 2023, tyre management and race pace had proved to be weaknesses, areas that were addressed last year.
However, that came at the cost of single-lap pace as he struggled to match Norris in qualifying.
Work over the off-season has seen the Melburnian take another step forward this season, with the qualifying head-to-head with Norris currently sitting at 2:2.
“That’s, as a Formula 1 driver, a big component of your profession, so it’s something that’s not lost on him, that over your journey, when you’re up against Max [Verstappen], Charles [Leclerc], Lando [Norris], Lewis [Hamilton], like these guys in the first few years, there’s some serious artillery there over one lap,” Webber said of Piastri’s new-found qualifying speed.
“And to put it all together, we know how sensitive it is to execute these cars and tyres on Saturday, so because of the intelligence of the boy and understanding what he needs to improve, yeah.
“But as I say to him, you have the most experience the day you retire, so keep learning.”
Piastri sits just three points back from Norris at the top of the drivers’ standings.
Should he rise to the top of the table, he would become the first Australian to lead the championship since Webber in 2010.
F1 is back in action this weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the third leg of its current triple-header.
2025 F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Start time, how to watch, TV times & more
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