Oscar Piastri has denied his grasp on the Formula 1 championship in 2025 is slipping, as he declared that he would “rather be where I am” than his main competitors.
Piastri’s lead was reduced in the United States Grand Prix as he lagged home fifth, while McLaren team-mate Lando Norris wound up second behind Max Verstappen.
The Australian had boasted an advantage as high as 34 points when he won in Zandvoort, but a three-race run without a podium has seen that be closed to 14 points.
That lean spell has included an uncharacteristic crash on the opening lap in Baku and a muted outing in Austin, where he struggled relative to Norris all weekend long.
However, Piastri was quick to underline that the title remains in his hands, as he dismissed the notion that recent races have shown he is succumbing to the pressure.
“I’d still rather be where I am than the other two,” Piastri told media including Motorsport Week.
“Obviously this weekend isn’t what I wanted or what I expected. This weekend has been quite different to the previous couple.
“Baku was obviously a bit of a disaster for very different reasons and Singapore was what it was.
“So I think this weekend has been kind of the odd one out compared to others.
“But I think definitely Max and Red Bull have found a lot of pace since the summer break as well.
“We saw flashes of it at the start of the year, but it’s been consistent since Zandvoort.”
Piastri downplays Verstappen threat
Verstappen’s dominance in Austin delivered a maximum points haul that’s propelled him right into contention as he lies 40 points behind Piastri with five races to run.
But while the Dutchman has gained 64 points since Red Bull’s resurgence began at Monza, Piastri has voiced his attention is on rediscovering his earlier-season level.
When asked whether he is now more concerned about the threat that Verstappen poses, Piastri responded: “Not necessarily.
“He’s obviously there and he’s quick, but for me, the biggest focus is just trying to work out why this weekend was tough and try and get back on the form we’ve had earlier in the season.
“So that’s my biggest focus and if we can find that again then the results will take care of themselves.
“Still a long way to go in the championship, it is still for Max anyway.
“He’s obviously chased it down pretty quick, but it’s not exactly a small gap with five rounds to go.
“So I think if we can find our pace again, then I think he’ll take care of himself.”
Piastri, who graduated to F1 as a multiple-time feeder series champion, has reiterated that he will not get caught up pondering the points that he has lost to his rivals.
“I’ve been in fights that were as close or at this point even closer than what they are now,” he highlighted.
“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 has obviously been tough. The gap has come down a little bit in the last few weekends
“But I guess performance is what’s going to win you a championship, not just looking at points and seeing if you can increase it or decrease it.
“The faster you go the more points you’re going to score and that’s what I’ll focus on.”
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