Anyone could tell you from the standings it is obvious where Piastri has lost the championship. A string of five races with no podiums to show marks a sharp decline in performance (the last time this happened being May 2024) is a bleak display for a man of Oscar’s calibre. In stark contrast, his teammate’s back to back wins and two more podiums have seemed to swing the direction of the championship in favour of Norris. Having finished on the podium in all bar one of Piastri’s last 15 races it seems uncanny to switch so fast.
...even though the team in Papaya have never claimed to have a "number one" driver
One idea for the seeming switch in Oscar’s results could be a case of the “Lando Norris syndrome”, also known to many as bottling or crumbling under the pressure. If this is the case, it would not be the first time a McLaren driver has been seemingly set to take the crown but fall at the last hurdle. Lewis Hamilton first showing us this in his debut season in 2007, being what would nowadays be a 26 point lead with a mere two races left. There is not much of a case however to back this, as a former and back to back F2 and F3 champion, it shows that the pressure of the situation is not the first rodeo for car number 81.
Yet maybe it is the fault of the McLaren’s very own CEO, Zak Brown. Fans over the course of the season have noticed a somewhat favouritism for Piastri, even though the team in Papaya have never claimed to have a “number one” driver. Statistics show, as well as fans recognising that the pit stops of Oscar vs Lando were slightly uneven.
Pitstops such as at Monza and Spa were to show for this, with Lando notably having a four second longer pitstop than the Australian one lap after. Along with this, Norris’ car not having the “full battery” in Belgium and Andrea Stella caught smiling by fans when the Brit did not finish in Zandvoort have seemed suspicious coming from the Woking based team. Even these slight handicaps and preferences to Oscar might have helped him gain an edge during the middle of the season, or maybe it was some good fortune. But, when looking at the last race, it seems the FIA are not on Piastri’s side, collecting a somewhat “harsh” 10-second penalty by the opinion of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.
Car performance and upgrades is an unlikely excuse to the decline in performance. The MCL39 has not seen any major changes since the British Grand Prix and is not set for any more this season. The car has seemed to perform at every race this year, with a few minor hiccups in Suzuka and Imola to name a few. McLaren have also dismissed any mechanical reasons for the Aussie’s slump in form, making it clear there is no invisible bias within the team. With the machinery set in stone, the decline seems to be more at driver inside of the car rather than the car itself.
...racing ability is not the only necessity to win a championship...
Ultimately, Oscar Piastri’s late season collapse is more likely to be driver fatigue, with a 24-race season already being criticised as too much for drivers mentally and physically. Lando Norris stating in his post-race conference he has attempted to eliminate people who are “talking crap”, a sign that Oscar could potentially take a leaf out of his championship rival’s motivation. A series of mistakes, from the Baku crash and Singapore tyre kiss signalled precariousness. As of last race, this was further highlighted, with a crash in the sprint race and a turn one lock up costing him 10 seconds on his finishing time compounded Piastri’s woes.
In summary, all this may prove is that Oscar Piastri is a human. It is also a cruel reminder that pure racing ability is not the only necessity to win a championship in this sport. As we head to Las Vegas to begin the conclusion of the season, Piastri will be in need of a bit of luck, consistency and mental fortitude, who knows what lays in store in Sin City.