Oscar Piastri found himself reflecting on the challenges faced during the United States Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen made a significant impact by securing a decisive win. Piastri had been leading the drivers'
championship after his victory at the Dutch Grand Prix in late August, which placed him 34 points ahead of his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris. However, recent races have seen Piastri's performance decline.
In the last four races, Piastri has consistently finished behind both Norris and Verstappen. This dip in form was evident as he ended up fifth at the US Grand Prix. Verstappen's impressive run, winning three out of these four races, has brought him within 40 points of Piastri in the standings. Meanwhile, Norris is just 14 points behind with five races to go.
MAX WINS IN DOMINANT STYLE!! Verstappen moves himself firmly into the championship fight with an impressive victory in Austin #F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/iyaFgTycrj Formula 1 (@F1) October 19, 2025
Piastri expressed his concerns about his race pace after a challenging qualifying session. "Today, race pace could have saved you [after a difficult qualifying], but I didn't really have that," he told Sky Sports. Despite consistent qualifying performances, this weekend was particularly disappointing for him.
Challenges with Car Setup
Piastri acknowledged that understanding why things didn't click with the car during this race is crucial for McLaren. He noted that it was hard to find a rhythm compared to other circuits they had recently visited. This lack of rhythm marked a significant difference from previous performances.
Looking ahead to the remaining five races, Piastri and McLaren aim to analyse what went wrong in Austin. They hope to address these issues and regain their competitive edge as they continue their pursuit of championship success.
