Oscar Piastri’s Formula 1 title hopes have evaporated after a dramatic drop in form. A year ago, he led the championship by 34 points over McLaren teammate Lando Norris heading into Monza. Now, Piastri sits 55 points and three places behind Norris in the standings, with only one win in the last 12 months compared to Norris’s two victories in the same span.
Analysts point to Piastri’s difficulty adapting to McLaren’s current car, particularly in low-grip conditions. Mark Hughes highlights Piastri’s natural driving style—late turn-ins and heavy steering—as a mismatch with the car’s reduced downforce and higher tyre pressures. Norris, by contrast, has a more flexible approach, allowing him to extract performance without inducing understeer or oversteer. Piastri’s struggles have been compounded by inconsistent weekends, including a 30-second deficit to Norris in one race.
Edd Straw cautions against overreacting to the narrative shift, noting Piastri’s strong performances in past races and ongoing improvements. Val Khorounzhiy adds that Norris may have needed time to adjust to Piastri’s rapid rise, which disrupted his prior dominance over Daniel Ricciardo. Piastri remains a work in progress, but the gap to Norris raises questions about his ability to refine his adaptability in F1’s evolving machinery.
