F1 | Piastri reflects on 2025 and the championship: “No season will ever be perfect” – Abu Dhabi GP
On the eve of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, Oscar Piastri took a moment to reflect on his 2025 season and his relationship with teammate Lando Norris. This weekend will decide the 2025 Drivers’ Championship, with the three contenders — Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen — dominating the second part of Thursday’s press conference in Abu Dhabi.
Piastri currently sits third in the Drivers’ Championship, with Verstappen moving up to second after Qatar. Lando Norris leads the standings by just a few points, and as we’ve seen multiple times this season, everything can still change. Naturally, there is speculation that McLaren might issue team orders asking Oscar Piastri to support his teammate, but no confirmation has been made. In fact, both drivers confirmed in interviews that they haven’t discussed this yet.
Looking back, there have been many weekends where McLaren could have avoided mistakes or made different decisions. But for Oscar Piastri, dwelling on the past isn’t “particularly useful.” Of course, there were situations he could have handled better, but now the focus must be on the present. With family members present this weekend, the only goal is to deliver maximum performance on track.
Piastri on learning from mistakes
“Yes, well, I’d say there are several moments to choose from,” Oscar Piastri said, reflecting on a year full of errors that could have influenced the championship outcome. “Unfortunately, I think everyone has difficult moments, and no season will ever be perfect. So I don’t think it’s particularly useful to say, ‘I lost this many points here, this many points there,’ because everyone loses points at some stage along the way.”
“But yes, certainly, there have been some races or moments on my side that I would like to relive. I’m sure the team feels the same. But to choose one… I don’t think there’s one that hurts more than the others.”
Family support at Abu Dhabi
As expected, family and friends of the three title contenders will be present to witness a no-holds-barred battle. “Yes, my family will be here. In some ways, it’s a bit like what Lando said… you know, it’s the last race. I’ve raced many times without any of my family or friends present in my career. So it’s always nice to have them there, but it doesn’t change the world, let’s say. It’s nice, of course. I know some people actually prefer when their parents aren’t there or they don’t have people around. But for me, it’s a good thing,” the Australian explained.
Team orders and cooperation
Piastri was then asked if, hypothetically, he finds himself in P3 while Norris is in P4, whether he plans to support his teammate during the race. “It’s not something we’ve discussed. So, yeah, I mean, until I know what’s expected of me, I don’t really have an answer.”
Finally, both McLaren drivers were asked what they admire most about each other, and both gave similar responses. “Yes, his car collection. I’m trying to catch up,” Piastri joked. “No, well, honestly, I think similar things [to what Norris said]. It’s nice that we can keep what happens on track on track. And be friendly off track.”
“I think, as Lando said, it’s very easy for that not to be the case with teammates. And, you know, that definitely requires cooperation from both sides. Yes, I think that for me this is probably what I admire, even if it’s a strong word, about teammates. And I think it’s a great strength of Lando,” concluded the McLaren driver.
Calm, measured and still with a genuine shot at the crown, Oscar Piastri heads into the Abu Dhabi weekend refusing to overthink the past or the politics – exactly the mindset that has made him such a dangerous contender all year long.
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