Oscar Piastri issues clear stance as F1 title pressure set to intensify

Oscar Piastri has firmly claimed he is "ready" to handle the
pressure of the F1 title fight as the race tightens.  Piastri
currently holds a 25-point lead over team-mate Lando Norris, having
seen this trimmed from 31 following his DNF in Azerbaijan, with Max
Verstappen also a contender, but is 69 points behind.  Both Piastri
and Norris are in their first proper challenges for the F1 title,
with Piastri generally regarded as the mentally stronger of the
two, given Norris's fierce self-criticism after mistakes in
qualifying earlier in the year. As the fight ramps up, Piastri
believes his experience of winning titles in junior categories,
such as FIA F2 and FIA F3, will come in handy.  "The intensity will
kind of naturally increase as we get closer to the end of the year,
and I'm ready for that," Piastri told media, including
RacingNews365.  "I've been in this position before in other
championships, and that kind of feeling and that countdown to the
end of the year are the same. "So I am ready for that, and I can
lean on Mark [Webber], but it is ultimately down to how I manage
it, how I drive, and how I cope with things which are going to be
coming. "But having an important team around you and a good group
of people around you is very important to be able to lean on, and
Mark is certainly one of those people, and I'm excited to see how
it goes."