Oscar Piastri’s 2025 Title Collapse: A Combination of Factors

Oscar Piastri appeared destined for his maiden World Championship after securing a dominant seventh win at Zandvoort, holding a comfortable 34-point lead over teammate Lando Norris. However, the Australian driver failed to win another race in the final nine rounds, slipping to third in the standings behind Norris and Max Verstappen.

Why it matters:

Piastri’s dramatic collapse serves as a stark case study in the relentless mental and technical demands of a Formula 1 title fight. Despite showing immense composure early in the season, the second half revealed vulnerabilities that shifted the championship momentum entirely to Norris.

The details:

• Technical Mismatch: McLaren team principal Andrea Stella pointed to track characteristics, noting Piastri struggled specifically with low-grip conditions that plagued the latter part of the calendar.
• Driving Style: Former Alpine executive Marcin Budkowski highlighted the interplay between driver style and car behavior, suggesting the car's evolution in the second half may have suited Norris better than Piastri.
• Mental Stamina: Budkowski also raised the possibility of mental fatigue. While Piastri seemed immune to pressure early on, uncharacteristic errors in Baku—such as a poor qualifying session and race crash—hinted at a waning confidence.
• The Baku Turning Point: Piastri admitted that controversial team orders at Monza unsettled him heading into Baku. Combined with an FP1 engine issue and the tricky nature of the new C6 tyres, he found himself overdriving to compensate.
• Cumulative Effect: The driver described the situation as "a lot of little things that eventually kind of added up," leading to a critical loss of form during the season's final stretch.

What's next:

Despite the late-season friction caused by team orders, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has confirmed that both drivers will receive "equal opportunity" to fight for the title in the upcoming season, setting the stage for another intense internal battle.