If you told me earlier in the season that Oscar Piastri would lose the lead in the race to win the F1 driver’s title after the summer break, I wouldn’t have believed you. But that’s exactly what happened in Mexico.
After the Dutch Grand Prix, Piastri was 34 points away from his title rival, Lando Norris. He also had a 104 point gap to Max Verstappen in the overall standings.
For many fans, it looked like the Australian — now in his third season in Formula 1 — was on positive trajectory to win his first championship.
As the chequered flag fell in Mexico, a new reality emerged. Lando Norris now leads this title fight with his dominant victory and excellent run of form over the last few races.
To make matters worse, Piastri hasn’t been on the podium since Zandvoort and has been on a streak of challenging race weekends.
Piastri’s recent dip in form mirrors what happened to his manager, Mark Webber, when he was challenging for the F1 driver’s title in 2010 — a season when Webber came close to becoming a world champion.
Mark Webber’s 2010 Title Charge Explained
Driving for Red Bull Racing during their first dominant season, Webber emerged as an unexpected title contender alongside teammate Sebastian Vettel.
Early in the season, the Australian showed flashes of brilliance. He took commanding back-to-back wins in Spain and Monaco, briefly leading the championship.
At this stage, Webber’s consistency and cool-headed driving style kept him in the mix. Rivals from Ferrari and McLaren, particularly Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, remained as strong contenders.
As the season progressed, however, tensions began to grow within Red Bull.
Vettel was seen as the team’s long-term favourite, which put added pressure on Webber. He wasn’t just battling Vettel — team politics were at play.
For instance, Red Bull swapped Webber’s front wing with Vettel’s for qualifying after the German driver broke his front wing, as the team only had one updated version of the wing for the Silverstone race.
Heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi, four drivers — Webber, Vettel, Alonso, and Hamilton — had mathematical chances of taking the title.
As Red Bull attempted an undercut by pitting Webber on Lap 11, Webber wound up behind slower cars that had started on harder tyres and hadn’t yet pitted.
Vettel meanwhile stayed out longer and avoided traffic — making him the youngest world champion in F1 history.
How Does This Compare to Piastri’s Fight For The Championship?
Like Webber, Piastri has faced tense on-track battles with his teammate. Both Australians also lost their advantage late in the season. The difference is that Webber’s defeat came only in the final race, while Piastri’s slump arrived earlier.
Still, Piastri has had a more dominant season statistically. He recorded more wins, podiums, and fastest laps. Meanwhile, Webber’s wins were clustered mid-season (Spain, Monaco, Britain, and Hungary), whereas Piastri’s were more evenly spread.
Perhaps the biggest difference here are the Papaya Rules.
These are a set of principles created by McLaren to rigorously manage their drivers, ensuring each of them has a fair shot at the title. With Red Bull, it was more of a classic scenario of favouring one driver over another.
What Does Piastri Need To Win The Championship?
Piastri has always exuded a calm confidence, even under pressure — a strength that has clearly helped him in his current title fight.
That composure was also clear in 2024.
Take the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, for example. Piastri not only found extra grip to overtake Leclerc but also expertly defended his position in the closing stage of the race as Leclerc sought to overtake him.
Pair that with a driving style built on precision, and you get a monster in the cockpit, especially when it comes tracks that reward this driving style. It explains why Piastri was able to build such a strong lead early this season.
Post Summer Break Changes
Since we came back from the summer break, however, the narrative has completely changed.
Whether it’s the struggle of finding momentum on tracks that outright challenge his driving style or having to make split-second decisions on whether to obey questionable team orders that favour his title rival, these factors collectively are denting Piastri’s confidence in his title fight.
Worse, there’s also the pressure of being the one hunted for the lead in the championship.
Just hear what he had to say to Sky Sports after the Mexico Grand Prix for example:
“I’ve just had to drive very differently the last couple of weekends – or I’ve not driven differently when I should have.
I think that’s been a little bit strange to get my head around because I’ve been driving exactly the same as I have all year. It’s just the last couple of weekends the car or the tyres or something required quite a different way of driving. I’ve just not really gone to that.“
Still, challenging for the driver’s title in only his third season in Formula 1 is no easy feat.
This is especially true when you account for Max Verstappen’s recent surge in performance in the RB21 on top of Norris slowly chipping away at Piastri’s lead over the past few race weekends.
Now that he’s the hunter, Piastri should be in a much better mental frame to regain his focus and rhythm.
Regardless, nothing is ever over in Formula 1 until it’s truly over. As long as Piastri mathematically has a chance to win his world title, the battle will continue until the final chequered flag falls.
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Formula 1 returns November 9th for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Featured Image Credit: McLaren Media Centre