Oscar Piastri admitted to moments of frustration in F1, wondering "why you picked this damn sport" due to ongoing misfortune. Despite this, he insists he's not fixated on lost points, prioritizing his performance and future races.
Why it matters
Analyst Jolyon Palmer estimated Piastri's championship lead could have been 61 points higher if luck had favored him. Currently, Piastri is just nine points ahead of McLaren teammate Lando Norris. This gap highlights the significant impact of external factors on his season.
Piastri's Perspective
His latest setback came pre-summer break, where a poor strategy choice, despite a strong start, saw Norris win from P3.
- On Adversity: "There’s always going to be things in racing that you don’t necessarily agree with or don’t go the way you want," Piastri stated. "Sometimes it makes you wonder why you picked this damn sport."
- Confidence & Focus: Piastri remains positive: "I certainly don’t feel hard done by. I feel like I’ve driven well this year... I’m just trying to focus on these next 10 races and how I can perform either the same or, if not even better, than I did at the start of the year."
Norris's Take
Lando Norris acknowledged some "luck" but emphasized his own smart choices and improvements.
- Strategic Decisions: "I’ve made also good decisions... I’ve improved as a driver this year," Norris explained, crediting hard work for his Budapest win rather than just luck.
- Accountability: He noted, "I’ve kept myself out of trouble, stuck by the rules... at times they gave me points, so that’s also down to me doing a good job at times."