Piastri Reflects on Championship Hopes Fading

As the Formula 1 circus rolls into the glittering chaos of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finds himself in an unfamiliar position: no longer the quiet title leader.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

With just three races remaining in the 2025 season, the Australian’s championship hopes have all but evaporated, overshadowed by teammate Lando Norris’s commanding 24-point lead and the ever-present threat from Max Verstappen.

Speaking candidly ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend—in the wake of a bruising São Paulo round that included a Sprint DNF and a costly collision penalty—Piastri didn’t shy away from the sting of watching his once-viable title shot slip away.

“It’s never the nicest feeling to see your lead disappear,” Piastri admitted, reflecting on how the pendulum has swung decisively toward Norris in recent rounds. Yet, the 24-year-old remained characteristically measured, refusing to dwell on what might have been. “I can’t go back and change any of the things that have happened this year. All I can do to try and give myself the best chance is to focus on the next race, and that’s what I’ve tried to do.”

Piastri’s fade from contention hasn’t come from a lack of effort or any dramatic shift in team dynamics, he insisted. When pressed on whether Norris has effectively “taken control” of the McLaren garage, Piastri was unequivocal: “No.”

Instead, he pointed to a string of personally difficult races as the primary culprit. “It’s more been that the last few races have been difficult for myself,” he explained. “There’s been different reasons for all of that, but in terms of the way I’ve gone about racing and the way the team has… for me, there’s been some tough lessons to learn, some tough moments to have to accept, and nothing more than that.”

The Australian, who burst onto the scene with a sensational rookie year in 2023 and has since established himself as one of F1’s brightest talents, described his approach as unchanged from the season’s start. “I’m trying to do the same thing I’ve done every weekend this season—you know, some weekends that’s worked better than others,” he said. “But I feel like, as long as I can get the most out of what I’m aiming to achieve, then that’s all I can ask for.”

From a mindset perspective, Piastri’s mantra is simple and relentless: extract maximum performance, weekend after weekend. “Just trying to get the most out of what I can do. Drive as well as I can, adapt as well as I can to whatever it needs, try and get the car in the right place and do that as often as you can, basically.”

Turning his attention to the unique challenge of Las Vegas—a track where McLaren has historically struggled, and where cold temperatures and low grip could play havoc under the neon lights—Piastri sounded cautiously optimistic. His last podium came way back at Monza, and he’s determined to end that drought.

“The only thing I can do is try and figure out how I’m going to do the best I can here in Vegas,” he said. “I feel like we’ve prepared well. It’s not been necessarily the easiest track for us as a team, but I feel like we’ve got some good ideas and good learning from the last couple of races here that we can hopefully put into action.”

While the Drivers’ Championship may now be a long shot—with 83 points still up for grabs across the remaining rounds and Sprint—Piastri’s composure underscores why many see him as a future world champion. For now, though, the focus is squarely on helping McLaren secure the Constructors’ title and ending 2025 on a high.

As the lights prepare to go out on the Strip, one thing is clear: Oscar Piastri isn’t dwelling on lost opportunities. He’s already looking ahead, lesson learned, pedal to the floor.