After a strong start to the year and a significant points advantage over his teammate Lando Norris, Piastri is now showing the first signs of struggling under the weight of expectations. His composure, once his biggest strength, seems to be fading as the battle for the championship intensifies.
Piastri’s composure begins to fade
According to Herbert, the young Australian talent no longer appears as unflappable as he was at the beginning of the season. “We’re starting to see small cracks of pressure in Oscar’s comments,” he told BettingLounge. “The ‘cool’ Piastri everyone was talking about earlier in the year isn’t there anymore. The pressure is building, and when the championship pot starts to boil, mental strength makes all the difference.”
The former Formula 1 driver added: “It wasn’t a perfect weekend for Lando, but he was still ahead of Oscar. The gap has dropped to 22 points, and that adds even more pressure on Piastri. Now we’ll see which of the two reacts better in the next rounds.”
Herbert defends Norris after Singapore clash
Herbert also defended Lando Norris for the aggressive overtaking move on his teammate during the Singapore Grand Prix, which was deemed fair both by the race stewards and by McLaren themselves. “I don’t think there was anything wrong with it. There was a bit of contact, but that’s motorsport. Oscar knows it well: at Monza, when he was asked to give the position back, he said that wasn’t racing — and he was right.”
With six races still to go and tension rising inside the team, McLaren will now have to carefully balance driver freedom with internal management. The rivalry between Piastri and Norris risks turning into a psychological duel as much as a fight on the track, testing the team’s unity and their drivers’ composure as the season heads into its decisive stage.
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