Oscar Piastri has said there is enough “evidence” that proves he is still favourite to take the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship, despite Max Verstappen’s resurgent form.
The Australian still leads the table, but at a significantly reduced number, now just 14 points behind team-mate Lando Norris, having finished fifth at the United States Grand Prix.
But the biggest turnaround has come from Verstappen, who is now 40 points behind Piastri after taking three wins and two second places in the last five Grands Prix.
It has led many to speculate whether Verstappen will now go on to take a fifth straight title, given that the momentum is now with him and that he is under no pressure.
It has also led to questions about whether Piastri and Lando Norris are sufficiently able to withstand the pressure themselves, with Verstappen now bearing down on them.
But after the race at COTA, Piastri said that whilst unable to gel with the car, he is able to stay psychologically fresh for the battle, given the close title fights he has previously been in throughout his career in junior categories.
“I’m just trying to understand if we’ve been maximising the car every weekend, and in race trim, we’ve still looked pretty good,” Piastri explained to media, including Motorsport Week.
“But in qualifying trim, it has been a little bit tougher for us over the last few weekends, and this weekend, for whatever reason, I’ve just not gelled with the car at all, so that’s the biggest thing.
“The only thing to do is analyse and see what we can do.
“I’ve been in [title] fights that were as close, or even closer at this point than what they are now, so I’ve got the evidence for myself that things can still turn out well, and I still fully believe that I can win the championship.
“This weekend was tough, and the gap has come down a little bit in the last few weekends, but performance is what is going to win you a championship, not just looking at the points and seeing if you can increase or decrease it.
“The faster you go, the more points you are going to score, and that is what matters.”
READ MORE – McLaren highlights the Oscar Piastri weakness that blighted his F1 US GP weekend
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