Oscar Piastri has lost his championship lead to teammate and closest title rival Lando Norris since the summer break. The Australian has been in a slump in recent weeks, watching as the Brit steadily pulled away from him in the drivers’ championship. Max Verstappen also observed the shift in the internal title fight at McLaren, describing the change as ‘bizarre’: ‘I did not expect it to go this way’.
Oscar Piastri was still firmly in the lead in the drivers’ championship after the Dutch GP in Zandvoort – the Australian had a lead of 34 World Championship points over teammate and title rival Lando Norris – but is now looking at a deficit of 24 points to the same Norris. The changing internal title fight at McLaren has not gone unnoticed by Max Verstappen either.
“I don’t have an explanation for it, to be honest. I find it very bizarre,” says the four-time world champion in Las Vegas. “I did not expect it to go this way, although it’s not really my problem in the end. What happened, or didn’t happen, I don’t know, so it’s hard for me to really judge. But if I were him (Piastri), I would definitely be more irritated. Especially if you’re so far ahead in the championship and then suddenly so far behind.”
‘Still Going on Vacation’
Verstappen is also still a title candidate, although Norris’s lead is growing after his two victories in Mexico and Brazil. However, for the Dutchman, it’s not such a disaster if his streak of world titles ends this year. “I’m still going on vacation!”, Verstappen reveals. “I’m very good at putting things in perspective and letting go. So I’m definitely not going to cry about it.”
