Can Oscar Piastri Get Back on Track? Inside McLaren’s Battle for Formula 1 Glory
How the rising Australian star lost his rhythm — and what he needs to do to rediscover it
The Formula 1 world finds itself on the edge of something thrilling. As the championship heads into the São Paulo Grand Prix, only one point separates McLaren team-mates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Reigning champion Max Verstappen lurks just 36 points back, ready to pounce in a sprint weekend that could tip the balance either way.
Yet for all the excitement around this title fight, there’s one big question hovering over the paddock: what on earth has happened to Oscar Piastri?
Just a few months ago, the Australian looked every inch a future world champion. Calm, clinical, and blisteringly fast, Piastri appeared to have cracked the code of consistency that so often separates the good from the great. He was leading the championship by a comfortable margin after the Dutch Grand Prix, while Norris was left to lament a rare mechanical failure.
Fast forward to now, and that same composure has evaporated. Four difficult weekends later, Piastri seems a shadow of his early-season self — off the pace, low on confidence, and visibly uncomfortable behind the wheel of a car that once felt like an extension of his body. So what went wrong, and how can he get back on track?
The turning point: from dominance to doubt
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri listening to a McLaren engineer within the team’s garage at the Mexico City Grand Prix
Up until late summer, Piastri’s season had been a masterclass in precision. His controlled drive at Zandvoort, where he managed the race from the front with unflappable authority, symbolised a young driver in complete sync with his machinery. When Norris retired that day, Piastri’s lead stretched to 34 points — and the championship looked like his to lose.
But things began to unravel in Monza. He was slightly off Norris’ pace — nothing alarming, just a couple of tenths here and there. Then came Azerbaijan, and with it, a weekend to forget. Three separate crashes, a jump start, and a sense that his confidence had fractured. It wasn’t just bad luck; it was uncharacteristic chaos.
In Singapore, he bounced back slightly by outqualifying Norris, only for the two to make contact at the first corner. What followed in Austin and Mexico was more concerning: Piastri simply didn’t have the speed. He looked tentative in braking zones, uncertain mid-corner, and hesitant in high-speed sequences where he’s usually razor-sharp.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has been careful not to single out his young driver, instead suggesting that Piastri’s struggles stem from difficulty adapting to specific track conditions. “Oscar didn’t quite adapt to the low-grip surface as well as Lando,” Stella explained. “It’s something that comes with experience. He’s still in his third season, still learning, still growing.”
Confidence, rhythm, and the invisible side of Formula 1
Every driver talks about “confidence” — that delicate, intangible ingredient that can make or break a weekend. When you trust the car, you lean into the corner earlier, brake a little later, and feel connected to the track beneath you. Lose that trust, and you start second-guessing yourself — lifting when you shouldn’t, hesitating when instinct should take over.
That seems to be what’s happened to Piastri. McLaren’s MCL39, while quick, has been a sensitive beast this season. Small changes in track temperature, grip levels, or tyre behaviour can dramatically alter its balance. Norris has found a way to drive around that inconsistency, using his experience and technical feedback to extract performance. Piastri, by contrast, looks like he’s fighting the car instead of working with it.
And yet, it’s important to remember just how high his bar has been set. For a driver still in the early stages of his Formula 1 career, being within touching distance of a world title is remarkable. Every dip in form is amplified when you’re under that kind of scrutiny, especially when your team-mate is the one capitalising.
Lessons from the greats
History shows that even the best drivers go through dips like this. Lewis Hamilton’s 2011 season, for instance, was marred by inconsistency and frustration — much of it rooted in off-track distractions and a loss of focus. Max Verstappen, too, endured scrappy weekends early in his Red Bull career before finding the balance between aggression and control.
The difference is that both had the experience and mental resilience to claw their way back. That’s the challenge now facing Piastri. He doesn’t need to reinvent himself; he just needs to rediscover what made him special in the first place.
That means going back to basics — rebuilding his confidence through clean, controlled weekends. It also means tuning out the noise of the championship narrative and focusing solely on execution. If he can find that flow again, the points will come.
Sao Paulo and beyond: a chance to reset
The beauty of the upcoming Sao Paulo Grand Prix is that it’s a sprint weekend — and that offers Piastri the perfect platform for a reset. Three competitive sessions in two days force drivers to get up to speed quickly and build rhythm fast. If he can put together a strong sprint and follow it with a solid race on Sunday, the momentum shift could be dramatic.
McLaren boss Stella remains optimistic. “There’s no reason to think any of the remaining tracks will suit one driver more than the other,” he said. “It’s about execution and preparation. Oscar has everything he needs to fight back.”
That’s not just polite team talk — it’s a fair assessment. The final stretch of the season includes Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi — circuits where adaptability, confidence, and tyre management play huge roles. If Piastri can reconnect with the car, he could easily flip the narrative before the year ends.
A young driver’s true test
Championships aren’t just won by speed — they’re won by how drivers handle adversity. Piastri’s current slump may feel like a crisis, but in reality, it’s the kind of challenge that shapes champions. Every great driver has faced a period of doubt and emerged stronger for it.
What Oscar Piastri needs now isn’t a miracle, but a mindset reset. Forget the standings, forget the pressure, and focus on rediscovering that effortless, attacking style that defined his early season.
Because when he’s on form, few in Formula 1 can touch him.
And if he finds that rhythm again — perhaps as early as São Paulo — then the fight for the 2025 world championship might just turn from a McLaren duel into one of the greatest title battles of this era.
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