As the 2025 Formula One season enters its final stages, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri finds himself in an unexpected battle, not just on the track, but against a bizarre culinary jinx. An Australian restaurant chain has been forced to apologise after a promotional offer appeared to curse the young driver's championship hopes.
The Unfortunate Burger Promotion
The saga began when the Grill'd burger chain launched the 'Piastri 81 Burger' ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in March. The promotion, endorsed by Piastri himself, initially offered free burgers every time the Australian driver finished on the podium. This came after a strong start to the season where Piastri had secured podium finishes and was leading the championship.
However, the promotion took a sour turn. Piastri has not finished in the top three since the offer was relaunched five races ago. His fortunes have dramatically reversed, with a series of incidents including crashes, collisions, and penalty points. The situation became so pronounced that fans began pleading with the chain to end the promotion, with one writing on Facebook: "Please stop this promotion and give us some hope for the last three races."
Grill'd eventually changed the terms to reward fans for Piastri simply finishing a race, but his luck failed to improve. He subsequently crashed out of the São Paulo sprint, prompting the company to issue a public apology "to everyone who believes in the 'curse'", quipping that they "never meant to create a burger so delicious it could change the course of F1 history."
Webber Backs Piastri to Find 'Deep Motivations'
While the burger curse makes for a light-hearted story, the reality for Piastri is a serious title challenge that has slipped from his grasp. His teammate, Lando Norris, has now taken the championship lead and holds a 24-point advantage with just three Grand Prix remaining.
Piastri's manager, former F1 star Mark Webber, is focusing on the psychological battle. After watching his driver finish fifth in the São Paulo Grand Prix while Norris won – marking the fifth consecutive race without a podium for Piastri – Webber emphasised the need for resilience.
"Well, get him turned around," Webber told Channel 4. "I don't think he's low on motivation, put it that way. He's had a tough run, but this is about character, about finding those deep motivations that you need at this point to come back."
A Surreal Achievement Despite Setbacks
Despite the recent slump, Webber was quick to highlight the "unprecedented" nature of Piastri's achievements. In only his third season in Formula One, the 24-year-old has won seven grands prix and fought for the world title.
"It's obviously an incredible journey so early in his career to fight for a world title," Webber stated. "Year three is pretty unprecedented – I think there was Lewis [Hamilton] but there haven't been many people that have done this so early in his career."
Drawing from his own experience of a near-miss in the 2010 championship, Webber noted the different pressures Piastri faces. "When I went for my championship, I was an old dog. I was really old at the end of my career. He's early in his career, so there's different nuances there."
He concluded on a positive note, reminding critics that many drivers never fight for a title even once in their careers, urging everyone to "try and find the positives" in Piastri's remarkable season. The focus now shifts to the final three races, where Piastri will aim to prove that his talent, not a burger, dictates his destiny.
