Oscar Piastri said he can be “very proud” of his Formula 1 season, despite losing the Drivers’ title after having been the clear favourite for much of it.
The Australian was sitting pretty at the top of the Drivers’ standings for a great deal of the year, and was 34 points ahead at the beginning of the final third of the calendar.
But a dip in form, combined with comebacks mounted by Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, saw Piastri ultimately lose out to Norris, finishing third behind him and the Dutchman.
Although the year ended in disappointment for Piastri, it still showed an upward trajectory after his first two years in the sport, his progress starting to show last year with his first victory.
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-120x86.webp)
And that is how Piastri took the campaign as a whole, telling media including Motorsport Week after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that he has many positives to take.
“I mean, comparing different parts of different people’s careers is always difficult with different cars and stuff,” the McLaren driver said.
“But I think definitely I can be very proud of the season I’ve had. When I look at this season compared to my first two years in F1, this year has been head and shoulders above the first two.
“Ultimately, whilst the end result is not quite what I wanted, there’s a lot of optimism and a lot of strength that I’ve gained from proving to myself what I can achieve through this season.
“Those are the kinds of things that are not necessarily tied to results. So I think for me, I can definitely take that forward into the future. It’s only my third attempt at this in F1.
“Hopefully, I’ve got plenty more to go, but there are definitely lessons from this year that will only make me stronger.”
Piastri will be hoping for the continuation of his marked improvement in 2026, as Norris defends his world title in the sister papaya car.
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![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-350x250.webp)
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-360x180.webp)
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