F1, what’s happening to Piastri: McLaren affects his psychological state

Oscar Piastri is leading the F1 drivers’ standings with McLaren, holding a 25-point advantage over his teammate and 69 points over Max Verstappen. In theory, he has the championship within reach. To secure it, he only needs one thing: stay calm and manage the races when the weekend doesn’t go perfectly. However, this seems to be slipping away in recent times.

The mental setback

The Baku Grand Prix weekend was disastrous for the Australian driver. A zero-point result forced him to return home empty-handed. Two major errors—one in qualifying and one in the race—stemmed from his inability to adapt properly to the car on the Azerbaijani track. During Q3, track conditions were challenging, with a high margin for error affecting many drivers. Piastri himself crashed during his best lap.

On race day, the mistake was even more serious. A problematic start, compounded by the anti-stall system activation, confirmed this. Consequently, Oscar was eager to recover positions as quickly as possible, having fallen back through the grid. His emotion played a trick on him, as he misjudged braking with cold front tires. The result? Another collision with the wall.

At the Italian Grand Prix, he finished third behind his teammate in a race where Lando Norris, despite the team essentially handing him an advantage on a silver platter, showed better pace and deserved to be ahead. These were two weekends where his focus faltered. The absolute coolness and ability to optimize performance disappeared, largely due to mounting pressure as the decisive phase of the season approached.

Mental strength is everything

Mental condition is critical for a Formula 1 driver. Piastri is “lucky,” because while his teammate possesses immense talent, operationally it seems far from ready. This is evident in several wasted opportunities by the British driver, who, although recovering some points in the past three weeks, could have performed better.

Piastri’s self-awareness

Oscar is highly self-aware. He critiques himself and cannot accept having made so many mistakes in a single weekend. This is unusual, because compared to Lando Norris, he is typically far more careful. Even when not at his peak, he usually still brings home results, avoiding overreaching and losing more points than necessary—a crucial mindset for winning the championship.

A temporary lapse is understandable. That is why the Australian doesn’t beat himself up and is ready to move on. He claims not to be worried and is honest in his assessment, recognizing that the issues stem from incorrect decisions behind the wheel. He also promises to regain stability and immediately address these problems in the next race.

To do this, he must regain concentration and reach the level he seems to have temporarily lost. Confidence in his abilities is key to reclaiming the winning edge that has distinguished him on multiple occasions. This includes a sort of indifference to external events, allowing him to focus solely on performance—a trait essential for a driver with Piastri’s ambitions.

McLaren and team rules increase tension between drivers

At this stage of the championship, psychological factors become dominant. The 24-year-old from Melbourne knows maintaining focus is not simple, especially under intense pressure. The internal conflict he revealed during Thursday’s press conference in Azerbaijan may have contributed.

This conversation clarified a team order issued to his disadvantage. Piastri disagreed with it but chose to comply to avoid controversy, highlighting the psychological impact. His manager seems to agree. This connects back to something previously noted: McLaren’s desire for fairness, which can backfire.

The Australian has not confirmed whether he would follow a hypothetical new team order. Something has cracked, originating from the British team’s attempt to control the dynamic between its two drivers. In Formula 1, this cannot work, as your primary competitor in the garage is the person sharing it with you. The “papaya rules” not only fail but can also cause significant harm.