Oscar Piastri’s Miami GP outing turned out to be exactly what he had hoped for — a dominant win that extended his lead at the top of the championship standings to 16 points ahead of McLaren teammate Lando Norris. However, the only potentially embarrassing moment of the day came in how he chose to celebrate.
That very weekend, he had promised NFL star Justin Jefferson that he would do” The Griddy” if he won. But after qualifying, where he set the fourth-fastest lap time, Piastri felt he had little chance of victory and didn’t bother to practice the move Jefferson had taught him.
Still, he kept his word and followed through, atrocious as it was. “My first proper Griddy was live on world TV after the race,” he admitted in an interview with Today.
As for what Jefferson — a man who has made the Griddy his trademark celebration in the NFL — had taught him, Piastri felt he had been far too lenient, which perhaps gave him the confidence to go ahead and embarrass himself anyway.
“He kind of taught me, but I think he was being far too nice with the feedback,” the Melbourne-born driver revealed. “So I said to him, he kind of made me feel confident in myself…”
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After his shocking dance moves, Piastri insisted it would be the last time he celebrated a victory that way. However, Jefferson felt he was being too hard on himself. The NFL star even promised to help the McLaren star improve—on the condition that he kept winning races.
“You did just fine. We gone work on the dance moves another time—just keep winning, brother”, he said. That said, Piastri did learn where he went wrong later on. He did the Griddy by just standing in one place, something no one had warned him against doing.
“What no one had really told me was that it’s actually a easier than if you’re walking, not standing still,” the 24-year-old added. Thankfully, judging the way the 2025 season is unfolding, Piastri should have several more attempts to amend for his mistakes.
McLaren has the fastest mechanical package on the grid, and Piastri has capitalized on that perfectly, winning four out of the opening six races. Who knows, perhaps he will nail the Griddy if he ends up winning the Drivers’ championship?
