OSCAR PIASTRI MUST STAY! WHY MCLAREN'S STABILITY BEATS RISKY MOVES TO RED BULL/FERRARI
Oscar Piastri lost the F1 title by 11 points, fueling rumours of an exit. We analyse how controversial team calls, like the Monza position swap, affected his championship bid.
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Despite missing out on the F1 2025 world title, Oscar Piastri should stick with McLaren.
The Australian was a title contender, but after a frustrating season where he lost to teammate Lando Norris, there have been rumours about him leaving McLaren in 2027.
Here’s why McLaren is still the right place for Oscar Piastri:
Piastri led the championship by 34 points after the Dutch Grand Prix in August but finished third behind Norris and Max Verstappen.
His tough run, especially in the Americas, hurt his chances, leading to some conspiracy theories.
There were signs of trouble earlier in the year.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said the team would let them race, but that wasn't always the case.
Piastri was told to hold position in Melbourne, and Norris passed him due to the strategy in Imola.
This raised doubts: If the team values fairness, why did one driver get a better strategy?
The Hungarian Grand Prix brought up the issue again when Norris won using a different strategy.
Plus, there was the position swap at the Italian Grand Prix. You could argue that Piastri was treated unfairly, despite claims that both drivers were treated equally.
The Italian GP was especially irritating.
Internal talks focused on fairness and how different situations would be handled, with slow stops seen as part of racing.
Yet, in Monza, the team asked Piastri to let Norris pass for second place.
That was a three-point loss, or a six-point swing, and Piastri lost the title by just 11 points in Abu Dhabi.
Piastri has hinted that the Monza call affected his performance in later races. He questioned it at the time but obeyed.
He had a bad weekend in Azerbaijan, crashing in practice and on the first lap after a poor start.
“Monza wasn’t great for me, and there was the pit stop thing,” Piastri said on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast.
“In Baku, Friday was hard, things weren’t working, and I was trying too hard on Saturday.”
He called it “the perfect storm” of things going wrong.
Then, at the Singapore Grand Prix, the McLarens made contact at Turn 3 on the first lap, followed by a clash with Norris in the US GP Sprint, as the championship turned in his teammate's favour.
There was a feeling that Piastri was being held back by the team for Norris.
Whether true or not, that’s how it looked, leading to rumors that things weren't so good within the team.
Some even suggested Piastri was looking for a way out.
Ferrari and Red Bull were mentioned, but these would be risky moves, given the changes coming in 2026.
New rules could shake up the sport, and no team knows where they’ll stand.
One big plus for McLaren is its stability.
It’s keeping its relationship with Mercedes; both drivers are under contract, and there have been no management changes.
The same can't be said for Audi, Aston Martin, Alpine, Racing Bulls, or Red Bull, while Ferrari seems to have its own problems.
That leaves only McLaren, Mercedes, Williams, and Haas with stability—a valuable thing as new regulations begin.
But that doesn’t promise success.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
LEWIS HAMILTON DEMANDS IMMEDIATE FERRARI ENGINE UPGRADE FOLLOWING SIXTH-PLACE MIAMI FINISH
Discover why Lewis Hamilton wants to abandon Ferrari's simulator while pushing the FIA for crucial engine development freedom.
We really need an engine upgrade. Right now, it’s nearly impossible for us to keep up with Red Bull and Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton said after the Miami race.
They both have a huge edge over us, but honestly, the rest of our car might be the best out there. Fix this engine issue, and we’ll have a real shot at fighting for wins.
This comes as the FIA is about to decide which manufacturers get extra development freedom under the ADUO rules. Toto Wolff wants only Honda to get that, but Hamilton thinks Ferrari should be included, too.
Even though Ferrari rolled out major upgrades in Miami, Hamilton said the others made bigger strides.
The team put a lot of effort into these changes; it’s progress, but everyone else moved forward as well, he said.
I heard McLaren’s updates actually worked better than expected. We didn’t see that kind of jump. Mercedes, McLaren, and Red Bull approach the front wing differently from us. Just look at their design compared to ours; it’s clearly not the same. I don’t know if that’s the key difference, but I want to understand what their concept does.
On the track, the results were disappointing.
Finishing sixth doesn’t sit well with me, Hamilton admitted. That’s not where I want to be.
He also brought up issues with Ferrari’s simulator.
To be honest, I feel like the simulator is pushing me the wrong way, Hamilton said. Maybe it’s time to set it aside, at least for now.
Charles Leclerc, his teammate, looked faster and almost made the podium, but a late spin cost him big.
Team principal Frederic Vasseur doesn’t think the engine is the whole story behind Ferrari’s struggles.
It's about the whole package, not only the engine, he said.
We need to improve everything. The fight for the title can last until the final race. What matters is having the speed to go for wins.
Yes, there are issues, but we know what needs fixing.
