Grill’d leans into the ‘cursed burger’ saga as Piastri’s title run gets tense
Australian burger chain Grill’d has decided the only way out of a conspiracy theory is through it. Accused by fans of “cursing” Oscar Piastri’s title charge with a free-burger promo, the brand has swerved the PR iceberg and turned it into a meme — merch line, playlist, and all.
The story starts innocently enough. As Piastri’s form surged mid-season — including a win at Zandvoort and a podium in Monza — Grill’d rolled out its OP81 Burger and a promise: free burgers “when Oscar Piastri podiums.” Then the results dried up. The podium clause quietly became “when Oscar races.” Cue social media stitching together the timeline, declaring the burger cursed, and accusing the chain of “sabotage.”
Grill’d responded with a wink. In a statement, the company played along with the folklore, apologising “to those who believe in the curse,” insisting they didn’t mean to make a burger “so delicious it could change the course of F1 history,” and cheekily adding they’d “broken the internet, not F1.” The brand also claimed more than 300,000 OP81s had already been devoured — a number that suggests plenty of fans were happy to test their luck.
From there they went full bit. A limited run of “Sorry Not Sorry” merch — tees, caps, totes stamped with lines like “Certified Cursed” — is teased as “available soon… or never.” There’s even a Spotify playlist built around the theme. It’s exactly the sort of nimble, self-aware pivot brands dream of when a promo takes on a life of its own.
To be clear, the curse talk lives squarely in the world of F1 superstition — which is busy territory at the best of times. Piastri’s season has swung on far more meaningful things than mayo and a brioche bun: set-up windows, tyre life, the peculiarities of certain circuits, plus the pressure of an in-house title fight. The Australian’s duel with his teammate, Lando Norris, has defined much of this season for McLaren, and the run-in remains tight. That much, at least, has nothing to do with condiments.
Grill’d, for its part, doubled down on backing their man. “We’ll never bet against a guy like Oscar Piastri,” the statement read, calling him a “homegrown Aussie hero” and promising they’ll be in his corner “today, tomorrow, and forever.” If that sounds like a national chain hitching itself to a national star, that’s because it is — and in Australia, Piastri’s rise has been rocket fuel for sponsors, broadcasters and, yes, burger joints.
It’s also a very F1 2025 story: a title chase that’s delivered drama and a fanbase that turns everything into lore. Promotions now live and die under the microscope, and Grill’d has been savvy enough to embrace the joke rather than fight it. The brand gets to keep its promotion alive, fans get a narrative to pass around, and somewhere in Woking a race team is rolling its eyes at the idea that lunch has anything to do with car balance.
For the avoidance of doubt: nobody inside McLaren thinks an OP81 patty is deciding anything. Piastri’s speed is real, Norris’s consistency just as real, and the margins are thin as the calendar heads toward its final beats. The only curse anyone in papaya cares about is dirty air, a slow stack-stop, or a gust of wind through Turn 9.
So, will the so-called curse break before the chequered flag on the season? That depends on downforce, execution, and a little luck — the kind you make, not the kind you eat. In the meantime, Grill’d has taken an awkward moment and cooked it into content. In modern F1, that’s practically a podium of its own.
And if Oscar sticks it back on the box soon? Expect two things: a noisy McLaren garage and a very long queue at the nearest Grill’d.
