Last season, Oscar Piastri was long considered the unflappable factor within McLaren. However, according to Martin Brundle, this perception was overtaken by reality as the year progressed. The British analyst suggests that Piastri, in his title fight with Lando Norris, showed that he too is susceptible to pressure and momentum. “He is certainly not made of stone.”
After the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, Piastri seemed well on his way to the world title. With a lead of 34 points, he was in the best starting position, but from that point on, a period of decline followed. The Australian finished six races in a row off the podium, with the low point being the GP weekend in Baku, where he crashed in qualifying and did not finish the race.
Brundle identifies this period as a significant turning point. “He had that lean period where he didn’t score much from Baku onwards,” says the former F1 driver on Sky Sports F1. “You can’t help but think of those small pivotal moments – that wet corner earlier in Melbourne where he had bad luck and slid onto the grass, or the harsh penalties in Silverstone and Brazil that could just as well have been five seconds or nothing at all.”
‘He lost his cool for a moment’
According to Brundle, it became clear during this phase that the image of Piastri as a completely cool, flawless driver is not entirely accurate. “I think we may have misjudged him a bit,” he suggests. “He disappeared from view for six races, crashed into the wall in Baku, and lost his cool for a moment.” Brundle emphasizes that Piastri is not as unaffected as often thought. “He is certainly not made of stone, I think he feels the pressure enormously.”
Brundle puts Piastri’s setback into perspective. “Imagine how much Lando Norris has improved over the past three and a half seasons,” he says. This points to the difference in experience between the two McLaren drivers. For Brundle, one conclusion is clear: “Oscar is a future world champion. I have no doubt about that.”
