Johnny Herbert: Oscar Piastri Lacked Mental Strength to Win F1 Title

Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has offered a stark assessment of Oscar Piastri's 2025 title collapse, arguing the McLaren driver lacked the mental strength required to become world champion. Despite leading the championship for much of the season, Piastri faltered late, allowing teammate Lando Norris to overturn a significant deficit and claim the title. Herbert contends that in a position of strength, Piastri "missed a slam dunk," a mistake he believes champions like Max Verstappen would not have made.

Why it matters:

Herbert's comments cut to the heart of what separates good drivers from great champions in Formula 1. While raw speed and car performance are essential, the ability to perform under immense pressure over a grueling season is often the deciding factor. This critique highlights Piastri's biggest test yet: transforming his undeniable talent into the relentless, championship-winning mentality required to compete at the very top.

The details:

• The Mental Game: Herbert explicitly stated that Piastri's mental strength "needs to be strengthened," suggesting the Australian driver crumbled when the title was within his grasp.
• Late-Season Collapse: The turning point came at low-grip circuits like Austin and Mexico City, where poor results were compounded by a crash in Azerbaijan. This stretch allowed Norris to erase a 34-point lead and ultimately pass him for the championship.
• The Champion's Benchmark: Herbert was adamant that a driver of Max Verstappen's caliber would not have surrendered such an advantage, framing the title loss as an avoidable failure.
• Norris's Rise: The former driver also credited Lando Norris for stepping up, "growing" into the role of the team's number one and seizing the initiative when Piastri faltered.

Looking ahead:

For Piastri, the 2025 season will serve as a crucial, albeit painful, learning experience. The challenge now is to analyze this collapse and build the resilience needed to convert future opportunities into championships. While his raw speed is undisputed, his ability to manage the psychological pressures of a title fight remains the biggest question mark he must address to fulfill his potential as a future F1 world champion.