Oscar Piastri is ready for a potential title fight in 2026. The Australian driver fell just short of securing his first world championship last season, although he was the driver who led the championship for the longest time. According to Piastri, he has learned enough from 2025 to confidently approach the new season: ‘I’m just hungry at the start’.
Oscar Piastri held the lead in the drivers’ championship for a long time, but fell short by just thirteen points in Abu Dhabi to secure the world title. The Australian went through a slump in the second half of the season, with his crash during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as the low point. This allowed Lando Norris to overtake his teammate in the drivers’ championship after the Mexico Grand Prix, and he secured his first world title at the Yas Marina Circuit.
However, the Australian believes that his title fight with Norris and Max Verstappen has prepared him for 2026. “I’m just hungry at the start of the season and I’m ready,” the Melbourne driver told Australian 7Sport. “Of course, I’m looking forward to a few weeks of just relaxing and not thinking about racing. But when we start again, there’s a lot to learn for next year. The cars and engines will be very different.”
Confidence
Despite Piastri being ready for another title fight, he is also realistic. “So you never really know how you’re going to start when there’s such a big change (to the regulations), but we have confidence in the people around us,” continues the McLaren driver. “And yes, I’ve really gained a lot of confidence from a few things this season that I can take into next year, regardless of which car we get.”
