At Austin, the Australian endured a challenging weekend, first with a Sprint incident involving Lando Norris and Nico Hulkenberg, then a disappointing sixth place in qualifying. What is happening to the driver who seemed immune to any setbacks?
After qualifying in a lackluster sixth, Oscar Piastri returned to the McLaren hospitality alongside his manager and mentor Mark Webber. A long-time paddock insider allowed them to step aside and remarked with a hint of sarcasm, “Watch out, Oscar might end up just like Mark…” The reference was to Webber’s 2010 season, when he began struggling just as the championship seemed within reach.
Fifteen years later, the scenario shares only some similarities. Since his Zandvoort victory on August 31, Piastri has faced a few more obstacles. Part of this stems from McLaren, whose package is no longer as dominant as before. But Piastri’s main challenge lies in the internal comparison with teammate Lando Norris, the current championship leader, now facing issues for the third consecutive weekend that he once appeared immune to.
At Austin, Piastri consistently trailed Norris. Even in qualifying, his trademark late Q3 push seemed to vanish. Over the last three races, he lost twelve points to Lando, still holding a twenty-two-point cushion. While a margin like this is significant if the pace is there, in Austin the two McLarens appeared to run at different speeds. Andrea Stella commented, “Several negative factors affected Oscar’s weekend so far. We saw him just a couple of tenths behind Lando in every session, whereas he usually recovers and improves throughout the weekend, which didn’t happen this time.”
“I believe it’s a matter of confidence,” Stella added. “Here in Austin, the track has low grip, bumps, high temperatures, and considerable wind. You need to feel in tune with the car to know how far you can push, and both Lando and Oscar confirmed that the car had to be driven at the edge of locking all four wheels. A cautious approach doesn’t pay off, but to push to the limit you need confidence. Oscar lacked that feeling, and in such a tightly packed group, even a couple of tenths can cost three or four positions.”
“I didn’t feel that comfortable,” Oscar Piastri admitted. “There are a few things I need to understand. If you don’t have the right feeling on this track, you lose time everywhere. I immediately felt that my laps weren’t my best, and when that happens, you know the time won’t come.” At the end of Austin qualifying, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Lewis Hamilton split the two-tenths gap between Norris and Piastri—opponents who will be tough mountains to climb over the fifty-six race laps.
Oscar Piastri knows he will need to race defensively, survive the first corner, and hope to recover through tire management. “A good start would be valuable,” he concluded, “and from there I’ll try to regain positions. It’s the only thing I can do given my starting position.”
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