Jenson Button Offers Wisdom on Piastri’s 'Tricky' Title Fight

Jenson Button, the 2009 F1 world champion, has offered his insights into the immense pressure facing Oscar Piastri as he navigates his first Formula 1 world championship bid. Piastri currently holds a narrow 14-point lead over McLaren teammate Lando Norris, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen rapidly closing in, just 40 points adrift with five race weekends remaining in the 2025 season.

Why it matters:

• Piastri's championship challenge is entering a critical phase, marked by recent struggles and increasing pressure from a resurgent Max Verstappen.
• Button's commentary highlights the mental fortitude required for a title fight, especially for a young driver in an evolving car.
• McLaren's ongoing policy of allowing both drivers to race freely adds another layer of complexity to the intra-team battle.

The Details:

• Current Standings: Piastri leads Norris by 14 points, with Verstappen 40 points behind Piastri, as the 2025 season approaches its final five race weekends.
• US Grand Prix Struggles: Piastri had a challenging US Grand Prix, retiring from the sprint after a first-lap crash and converting a P6 qualifying into a P5 finish in the main race.
• Car Performance: Button noted that the McLaren car "isn’t performing as he would have hoped, and as it was at the start of the year. It was so strong, they were unbeatable."
• Championship Pressure: Button emphasized the internal conflict of wanting to avoid mistakes while simultaneously pushing for a title, stating, "you’re thinking about not losing points in certain races, not making mistakes, and that’s sometimes when mistakes happen."
• Button's Experience: Reflecting on his own championship season, Button admitted, "I’m the first person who made too many mistakes when I was fighting for my world championship... I put myself under too much pressure, and I didn’t handle that very well."
• Mentorship: Piastri is being guided by Mark Webber, who Button hopes will help Piastri "learn from other people’s failures" and "keeping him positive in this scenario."
• McLaren's Stance: Despite the tight championship battle, McLaren continues to maintain a neutral stance, allowing both Piastri and Norris to race without team orders. Piastri affirmed this position, stating, "We are still so incredibly tight and we've both said we wanted an opportunity to try and fight for the championship because we deserve it."

What's next:

With the championship intensifying, Piastri will need to leverage all his mental resilience and the guidance from Mark Webber to manage the pressures. The crucial balance will be maintaining McLaren’s internal harmony while fending off both his teammate and a charging Verstappen. The next few races will be pivotal in determining whether Piastri can overcome these challenges and secure his maiden F1 world championship.