Piastri maintains title belief despite São Paulo Sprint crash

Oscar Piastri remains confident in his ability to win the 2025 Formula 1 world title, even after a São Paulo Sprint race crash further widened the gap to McLaren teammate and championship leader Lando Norris. The Australian's tumultuous season saw him relinquish a significant points lead to Norris, but he insists his driving form is improving.

Why it matters:

Piastri's unwavering belief, despite recent setbacks, highlights the intense internal rivalry at McLaren. With the championship battle heating up, his ability to bounce back and challenge Norris will be crucial for both his individual aspirations and McLaren's overall constructors' championship ambitions. A strong mental game is as vital as pace on track in F1's high-pressure environment.

The details:

• Championship Swing: Piastri held a 34-point lead over Norris after the Dutch Grand Prix in August, but DNFs in Baku and underperformances in Austin and Mexico allowed Norris to overtake him in the standings. He arrived in Interlagos one point behind.
• São Paulo Sprint Setback: During the São Paulo Sprint race, Piastri crashed out on lap six after hitting a wet inside kerb at Turn 3, handing Norris an additional eight points and extending his championship lead to nine points.
• Driving Form: Despite the crash, Piastri feels his driving form has improved since Austin and Mexico, where he struggled to adapt. He reported feeling "much more normal" and comfortable with the car from the first practice session in Brazil.
• Qualifying Struggles: Piastri finished P4 in the afternoon qualifying session, describing it as "bizarre." He noted the soft tire's unusual lack of improvement through Q1, Q2, and Q3, indicating a struggle to extract maximum performance from the car.
• Crash Analysis: Piastri admitted he likely shouldn't have used the kerb where he crashed, acknowledging that the track conditions had changed from the previous lap, and other drivers were also caught out by similar issues. He noted the high consequences of the small misstep.

What's next:

For Sunday's Grand Prix, Piastri's strategy will focus on making early passes to stay within striking distance of Norris. His ability to navigate the race from P4, particularly clearing Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, will be critical. If Piastri can convert his renewed comfort with the car into strong race performance, he could yet reignite his title challenge and make the championship fight even more compelling for McLaren and F1 fans.