Burger chain shares cheeky apology for 'cursing' Oscar Piastri and changing 'F1 history'

Australian burger chain Grill'd Burger has issued a sarcastic apology for 'cursing' Oscar Piastri and changing 'the course of F1 history'. This comes after the company received backlash for 'cursing' the McLaren man with their free promo featuring him.

Following the Dutch Grand Prix, when Oscar Piastri gained a 34-point lead at the top of the 2025 drivers' standings, Australian burger chain Grill'd Burger announced that fans could get a free ‘Oscar Piastri 81 burger’ any time the driver finished on the podium. This came into effect the following week, when Piastri finished third at the Italian GP.

But unfortunately for the brand, Piastri has not finished on the podium since that race at Monza in early September. The company has even changed its promotional messaging to say that fans will get a free burger anytime Piastri races.

This has led many conspiracy theorists to blame Grill'd Burger for 'cursing' their fellow countryman, who has suffered a severe loss in form since Italy.

On Wednesday, the chain issued a cheeky public apology via social media, saying they were sorry for changing 'the course of F1 history'. They also claimed that they are still not willing to bet against Piastri, who is a 'homegrown Aussie hero'.

"To everyone who believes in the "Curse", We'd like to apologize. To you, and to F1 fans everywhere. We never meant to create a burger so delicious it could change the course of F1 history. So yes, we're sorry. Sorry our burgers slap that hard." "Sure, we can take a joke about a curse - but let's be real, we'd never bet against a guy like Oscar Piastri. He's our homegrown Aussie hero, and we'll always be in his corner. Today, tomorrow, and forever - we've got your back, Oscar."

Piastri's form in recent weeks has meant he has lost the lead of the drivers' championship and is now 24 points behind teammate Lando Norris. With three races to go, the driver who led the tournament for 15 rounds this year is now on the cusp of losing the title.

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Oscar Piastri reflects on his drivers' championship chances after the Brazilian GP

Oscar Piastri at the Brazilian Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Oscar Piastri has claimed there is no benefit in thinking about the drivers' championship too much and that he must try to resolve all the issues he has been facing in the last few races. The driver dropped a massive 23 points to Lando Norris in Brazil alone.

Speaking after the Brazilian GP, in which he finished fifth, Piastri explained [via Formula1.com]:

"I think in terms of the championship there’s no point thinking about it very much. There’s clearly some things we need to sort out. Just a tough weekend from a number of fronts, so I’ll focus on that instead."

With three races and a sprint to come, a 24-point deficit isn't impossible for Piastri to overcome. But if his recent form continues, he is more at risk of being caught by Max Verstappen, who is now just 25 points behind in P3.

Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar