Oscar Piastri needs to find his rhythm again. Only by doing so can he hope to defend his championship lead against the resurgence of Lando Norris and the assault from Max Verstappen, currently 14 and 40 points behind respectively. The young Australian has shown in recent race weekends that he can feel the pressure — naturally so for a 24-year-old experiencing his first serious chance at winning a World Championship. Mexico offers him the chance to turn the page and silence critics with a strong performance.
Piastri’s words
The Australian appears calm and aware of his abilities, at least in his statements. Speaking at the usual Thursday afternoon press conference in Mexico, Oscar Piastri said: “The presence of Lando and Max does not change my approach. Obviously, the gap has narrowed slightly over the past few races, but for me the focus has always been on maximizing speed throughout the weekend. Some weekends I’ve managed to do that, others not, but we remain fully focused on this. If I do a good job of managing all of this each weekend, the external circumstances won’t matter anymore. Do I prefer to be the hunter or the hunted? Both positions have positives and negatives. Everyone loves underdog or comeback stories, and sometimes it’s easier to chase, but I prefer to have the advantage in the championship. I’ve always said I like being in the lead because it means you are working well. Over the season we’ve done many things very well, and surely there are areas we can still improve.”
“I am capable of winning a championship. I have positive memories to reference, and I’ve won before, but that doesn’t automatically guarantee victory this time. Those experiences help, but in the end I need to go as fast as possible. It’s not simple to execute, but the plan is fairly straightforward,” he added. Oscar Piastri showed no concern over Verstappen’s return: “It’s not something I really think about. It’s true that in recent years he’s been very consistent, always strong, and that can’t be denied. But worrying about it wouldn’t benefit me. What will help me win this championship is extracting the best from myself, the car, and the team. Worrying about someone else would distract me from what is under my control. He’s there and in the fight, but it doesn’t change how I approach the races. I also thought the battle would be between Lando and me, as did everyone else. However, the form he’s shown from Monza onwards has been surprising. There were glimpses of that level of performance earlier in the season, but also significant drops. Their consistency has been a surprise. They’ve continued to work on the car, trying to improve it. It’s not a huge shock, but I think his return to contention happened faster than expected.”
Finally, Oscar Piastri clarified that there would be no consequences for what happened in Austin, and that Lando Norris would no longer face any repercussions for the Singapore contact: “We’ve reviewed what happened in Austin. I believe there’s a degree of responsibility on my part in the Sprint. Lando and I will start from zero, focus only on racing, and see who comes out on top. The repercussions have been removed; that decision has been made.”
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