The Australian racer leads McLaren team-mate Lando Norris by nine points in the drivers' championship but has vowed not to look too far ahead when the season returns from its summer break next weekend.

Speaking to Autosport, Piastri said: "I think the saying of 'taking it race by race', it sounds boring and kind of is boring in some ways, but it is very true.

"You can't worry about what's going to happen in Abu Dhabi and take your focus off what you're doing in the weekend, especially at the top of Formula 1.

"You've got to be on top of your game every single time and any focus you take away from that, it means you're not at the top of your game.

"So as clichéd as it is, it is genuinely about focusing on the race you're in, trying to score the most amount of points."

The eight-time Grand Prix winner said: "You could say I need 18 points every weekend for the rest of the year, which is finishing second, but if you've got a clear opportunity to win the race and you don't take it, that's not a great way of going racing in my opinion.

"So that's how I always try and look at it. And that's what I based my whole career off basically, leaving each weekend knowing that I've done the absolute maximum I can."

However, Piastri is wary of taking excessive risks as it could cost him dearly in the title fight against Norris.

He explained: "When you're fighting for first and second, it's a seven-point difference, but if you don't finish the race, it's potentially 18 or 25 points you lose.

"So you do still have to make sure you finish the races, be consistent and not take unnecessary risks. And I think that side of things is still the same, but probably the reasoning for it is quite different.

"The mentality is probably pretty similar, which I'd say has worked pretty well in the past."