Oscar Piastri reflects on 'hell of a lot' learned in F1 title near-miss

Oscar Piastri says he has "learned a hell of a lot" about himself as a driver and a person during a 2025 Formula 1 season where a maiden championship slipped from his grasp. The McLaren driver led the standings for much of the year but a late-season collapse saw him finish third behind teammate Lando Norris and a resurgent Max Verstappen, turning a potential title into a lesson in resilience.

Why it matters:

Piastri's season encapsulates the razor-thin margins and intense psychological pressure at the pinnacle of F1. Leading the championship only to fall short offers a unique, and often painful, learning curve for a young driver. His ability to process this disappointment and extract positives will be crucial for his development and future title challenges, especially within a team operating a strict equal-treatment policy between its drivers.

The details:

• Piastri held a 34-point lead over Norris and a commanding gap to Verstappen after the Dutch Grand Prix, positioning him as the favorite for the title.
• McLaren's "two number one drivers" philosophy, while ensuring fairness, created complex scenarios. Team orders instructing Piastri to yield to Norris at Monza reportedly affected his subsequent performance in Azerbaijan.
• A critical loss of form and pace struck in the final races in Austin, Mexico City, and São Paulo, a stretch Piastri described as "disastrous."
• The late stumble allowed both Norris and a significantly improved Red Bull, with Verstappen at the wheel, to overtake him in the standings. He finished the season 13 points behind Norris and 11 behind Verstappen.

Between the lines:

Piastri's candid reflection highlights the mental toll of a championship fight. The mention of Monza's team orders still "playing on his mind" in Baku reveals how strategic decisions can impact a driver's confidence and rhythm. His struggle in low-grip conditions also points to a specific technical or driving nuance that became a vulnerability under maximum pressure, an area he will undoubtedly focus on refining.

What's next:

The 24-year-old vows to use the experience as fuel for future development. With nine Grand Prix wins now to his name and a season of leading a championship fight under his belt, Piastri returns in 2026 not as a hopeful contender but as a proven frontrunner who has endured the hardest lesson F1 can offer. How he and McLaren manage their intra-team dynamic and learn from this season's strategic and performance pitfalls will define their next championship attempt.