By Camille Lebez-Leroy
At the start of the season, and well into the middle of it, Oscar Piastri looked like the man to beat. His win at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix launched him to the top of the standings, and it felt like the beginning of a title chase that no one could stop.
His victories earlier in the season in Bahrain and China, helped him built not just a healthy points lead but also a sense of confidence that seemed unshakable.
By the time the paddock arrived in Spain, Piastri was flying. He beat his teammate Lando Norris to pole position in Barcelona, his fourth pole of the season, and it only reinforced the feeling that he was on the verge of something big.
For many, Piastri wasn’t just a contender, he was the clear championship favourite.
The Shift
But as the season went on, the tide began to turn. The comfort he once enjoyed in the standings started to slip away, replaced by results that were suddenly much harder to come by.
Take the 2025 United States Grand Prix: Piastri could manage only fifth, while both Norris and Max Verstappen finished ahead of him. His lead shrank dramatically that weekend, it was the fourth race in a row in which he failed to finish on the podium.
In a tight title fight, consistency is everything. And slowly but surely, Piastri’s once incredible form began to wobble.
Norris Seizes the Momentum
If Piastri was sliding backward, Norris was doing the opposite. The Brit found speed and confidence just as his teammate began to lose both, and the gap between them evaporated in a matter of races.
Thanks to his strong run of form, Norris now leads the Drivers’ Championship. Piastri, once firmly in control, suddenly finds himself 24 points behind.
What Went Wrong?
A few factors can explain this shift:
- The lack of consistency: Early on, Piastri was turning almost every good weekend into a podium or a win. But in the last few races, those results have dried up, and we know that every point is precious at this moment.
- Rivals on the rise: Norris hit his stride at exactly the right moment, and Verstappen’s renewed competitiveness added another layer of pressure.
- The mental game: Fighting for a world championship brings a unique kind of stress. The calm Piastri showed early in the year hasn’t been as easy to maintain with the season moving forward and his own teammate closing in.
The Road Ahead
With just two races left, Piastri’s title hopes aren’t gone, at least not mathematically. McLaren maintains that both drivers are free to race, and the team won’t favour Norris over him.
But the path forward is undeniably tough. To overturn a 24-point deficit, Piastri will need something close to perfection, plus a bit of luck in the form of mistakes or misfortune for Norris and Verstappen.
Given how momentum has shifted, that’s a tall order.
Regardless of how the season ends, this stretch of races may well be remembered as the moment when the championship began to slip through his fingers.
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