The lost championship and the toughest lesson for Piastri
From a comfortable lead to a final collapse: Oscar Piastri’s 2025 season tells the story of mistakes, pressure-induced limits, and a defeat that could become a turning point in his career.
Among the season’s biggest disappointments, Oscar Piastri is certainly the driver with the most reasons to regret. Although last year was arguably his best season so far, it is still true that the Australian managed to lose a World Championship that, after Zandvoort, seemed almost secured.
For many insiders, his lack of consistency in the final stages of the championship remains a mystery. Monza stands as his last race performed at the level of his early-season form; from there, decline followed. In Baku, he suffered a double retirement, and at other circuits, results were insufficient to protect the huge advantage he had built. Only in the last two races of the season did he show a slight recovery.
While Piastri struggled to get the best from his MCL39, Lando Norris delivered expected results. Taking advantage of Piastri’s slump, Norris raised his own level, closing the massive gap and ultimately winning the Drivers’ Title—a feat that, after Zandvoort when Norris was 34 points behind, had seemed almost impossible.
Romain Grosjean: “Piastri’s season remains a mystery”
“Oscar Piastri is the only one I don’t understand this year. Before the summer break, he was so competitive, but after Monza, in four or five races, it was as if his cousin was behind the wheel,” Romain Grosjean said in an interview with Bein Sports.
“In Qatar, we saw Oscar’s comeback. He was the fastest on track and took pole position. True, he didn’t win the race, but that didn’t matter. Oscar was back, and even in Abu Dhabi he appeared quite solid, but by then he had already lost too much ground,” the Frenchman added.
“It’s not nice to finish 13 points behind when you had a 34-point lead, but I’m sure he’ll learn from this season. He’s still very young and has been in Formula 1 for a few years, already showing positive things. However, he showed that in certain moments he wasn’t at the desired level. Still, I think if he repeats the things he does well and addresses this year’s problems, he will become a world champion.”
What happened to Piastri?
The real reasons behind Oscar Piastri’s slump remain unclear. However, some observations can be made based on concrete elements. For example, it’s important to remember that both Lando Norris and Max Verstappen—one through mental preparation, the other through Red Bull’s developments—raised their level, putting Piastri under pressure.
His inability to match the performances of these rivals likely undermined some of the confidence he had built during the early season. Additionally, some tracks simply didn’t suit the Australian’s driving style. Even Andrea Stella noted that Oscar needed to better learn how to drive on low-grip circuits, where sliding the rear of the car is necessary for optimal rotation.
In any case, it is often from such defeats that champions are born: understanding what went wrong, turning weaknesses into growth tools, and coming back stronger. Oscar’s talent has never been—and will never be—questioned. This season exposed the gap that still separates him from becoming a world champion. If he can process this setback and learn from it, the path to the title will be much shorter.
Oscar Piastri’s 2025 campaign serves as a harsh but necessary lesson in the relentless pressure of a Formula 1 title fight. After dominating the early stages, a loss of consistency and technical struggles on low-grip circuits allowed Lando Norris to stage a historic comeback. While the 34-point swing is a bitter pill to swallow, experts like Romain Grosjean believe this experience is a vital stepping stone. If Piastri can refine his adaptability and mental resilience, he remains a definitive favorite for future world titles.
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