After finishing fifth at the US Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri has firmly asserted that he remains a top contender for the championship in the 2025 F1 season, despite facing the dominant performance of Max Verstappen, who has claimed three consecutive victories. The McLaren driver acknowledged that the race outcome wasn’t ideal, but he believes that the current lead is sufficient to keep his confidence high and feels that Verstappen does not add any extra pressure on him.
At the U.S. Grand Prix held in Austin, Verstappen started from pole position and smoothly claimed victory, marking his third win in the last four races. He firmly maintained his lead during the main race and showcased impressive speed in the sprint, further closing in on the top of the leaderboard. In contrast, Piastri couldn’t keep up his early-season momentum and finished in fifth place, while Lando Norris secured second, narrowing the points gap between himself and his teammate.
It’s worth noting that after winning at the Dutch Grand Prix, Piastri had a lead over Norris of up to 34 points and was more than 100 points ahead of Verstappen. However, the Red Bull Racing team has recently made several upgrades to their car, allowing Verstappen to showcase his dominance once more, further eroding McLaren’s initial advantage. In response, Piastri admitted: This weekend’s competition didn’t meet my expectations, but I’d rather be in my current position than anyone else’s..
He continued to point out that The situation in Baku is really poor, and Singapore isn’t particularly ideal either. The pace of this match is completely different from what we’ve seen before, but I believe this is just a random fluctuation. Piastri mentioned that the most important thing right now is to clarify the issues and regain his form. Especially considering that he won four out of six races at the start of the season, he firmly believes he still has the ability to compete for the championship.
As a four-time world champion, Verstappen’s consistency and experience put considerable pressure on his rivals. However, Piastri believes that psychological advantages aren’t everything: If we can regain our rhythm, I won’t have to worry about the race outcome. Verstappen’s speed is indeed astonishing, but what matters more to me is our own performance and adjustments..
In addition to Verstappen’s competitiveness, McLaren’s car setups have also been under scrutiny in recent races. The team has struggled to keep up with the upgrade pace of Red Bull, causing both Piastri and Norris to face inconsistencies in their qualifying and race performances. They even faced a double exit due to a collision in the sprint race, further impacting their overall performance.
Yet, despite the current instability, Piastri still believes that there is room for growth in his F1 journey. With a history of securing championships in both F2 and F3 seasons, he has amassed a wealth of racing experience. He feels that these encounters have helped him remain calm under pressure and better equipped him to handle intense competition.
Piastri said:
Currently, Piastri holds a lead of 14 points on the leaderboard, but with five races left, anything can change and rewrite the entire season. As Verstappen regains form and Norris closes in, Piastri must find his stability in the upcoming races to maintain his lead and move closer to securing his first F1 championship.
