Oscar Piastri once again committed a costly mistake in his 2025 Formula 1 season with McLaren. At Interlagos, the Australian driver finished fifth after a series of basic errors that further distanced him from Lando Norris in the fight for the world championship, losing a total of 23 points between the Sprint Race and the main Grand Prix. It was a difficult weekend for the man who, until just two weeks ago, was leading the drivers’ standings.
Piastri: “I’m not to blame for what happened with Kimi and Charles”
The Australian appears to have lost his composure, making too many errors to realistically aim for the world title—especially in a phase where his teammate Lando Norris is driving with remarkable confidence. The contact on Sunday with Kimi Antonelli and, consequently, Charles Leclerc, was simply the latest in a growing list of missteps, coming right after the blunder in the Sprint Race. These two incidents have dealt a serious blow to his championship hopes.
After the Brazilian GP, Oscar Piastri defended himself over the crash that occurred during the Safety Car restart, partially agreeing with Charles Leclerc, who also involved Antonelli in the chain of responsibility for the incident that forced the Ferrari driver to retire. The Australian insisted he had done nothing wrong, overlooking the fact that he locked up under braking—a clear misjudgment—which ultimately triggered the chain reaction at the Senna S.
“I was on the inside with Kimi,” Piastri explained. “Yes, I locked a wheel, but I was at the apex, with the white line to my left. That’s how it went. It was a complicated race, and that incident made it even more difficult.” His explanation, however, sounded superficial. A driver fighting for a championship must minimize the risk of errors as much as possible, and braking that late in such conditions was clearly the wrong call.
He went on to add: “I think I only made one mistake all weekend, that one in the Sprint. I probably shouldn’t have taken that line. Today, I don’t think I did anything wrong, even though things didn’t go as I hoped. There are situations you can’t control. Of course, I can always improve, but some circumstances you just have to accept.” That was Oscar’s interpretation, as he continued to consider his poor Sprint performance an unlucky episode rather than the result of a misjudgment.
Stella and the team defend Piastri, but the truth looks different
Team principal Andrea Stella shared the same perspective. The Italian engineer, formerly with Ferrari where he worked alongside Fernando Alonso, was seen by Sky cameras at the pit wall after the race, discussing the incident with the race direction. He even had telemetry data in hand, trying to justify the actions of his driver, who in reality had triggered the chain of collisions right after the Safety Car restart.
Kimi Antonelli may have turned into the corner as if Oscar Piastri were not there—an argument that can be partially understood. This was also the interpretation offered by a frustrated Charles Leclerc after his early retirement. However, the truth is that Oscar Piastri was still some distance away when he dived into the corner, and his move was overly optimistic. For that reason, it seems clear that most of the responsibility lies with him.
“Oscar paid a heavy price for the penalty he received after the restart,” said Stella. “It was a rather harsh decision that probably cost him the chance to fight for the podium. From our side, it will be important to analyze carefully whether we could have managed the situation differently to allow him to achieve a better result despite the sanction.”
Despite Andrea Stella’s defense, it’s becoming evident that McLaren’s approach—continuing to shield Oscar Piastri rather than pushing him to acknowledge and correct his mistakes—could be counterproductive. As the title fight intensifies, accountability and self-awareness may be what the Australian needs most if he wants to return to the form that once made him a championship contender.
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