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Tyson Otto and Matthew Sullivan October 28, 2025 - 7:51AM 17 Comments Share via Email Share on Facebook Share on Whatsapp Hören Sie sich diesen Artikel an Copied URL to clipboard codesports.com.au 'Obvious' Oscar admits to driving change F1: Oscar Piastri admits he has had to drive differently the last few races, as his title lead... For every answer given there is another accusation made when it comes to Oscar Piastri’s sudden form spiral. After being on top of the F1 world championship since April, the Australian surrendered the lead to his McLaren teammate Lando Norris during Monday morning’s chaotic Mexican Grand Prix. The 24-year-old has gone four races without a podium after leading the drivers’ world championship by 34 points after the Dutch Grand Prix on August 31. His form has fallen off a cliff ever since the team ordered him to let Norris through at the Italian Grand Prix. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. McLaren officials and Piastri himself were surprisingly transparent when explaining the truth behind his recent struggles on low-grip tracks — but it hasn’t stopped fans from suggesting it doesn’t pass the smell test. Aussie sport commentator Gerard Whateley provided the latest conspiracy theory on Monday when saying it is hard for Aussie fans not to feel “jilted” at how the championship has turned. “There is one question above all other today,” Whateley said on SEN. Copied URL to clipboard Lando Norris booed in awkward scene after Mexico GP win Lando Norris received a... “Why is one McLaren so much faster than the other? And it must be the question Oscar Piastri is asking himself in his quiet moments after the recent trend became an inescapable truth in Mexico. “I’m not one for conspiracy theories and there’s a risk of sore loser syndrome… but the word ‘nobbled’ comes to mind. “If you’ve been of the belief McLaren made its choice some time ago that Norris was the preferred candidate to be world champion then you’d have every reason to tells us I told you so this morning.” The Fox Footy host went on to say: “Piastri had been in a form slump in recent races, part of that perhaps attributable to suspicions over the set up. Oscar Piastri puts on a brave face and celebrates his teammate’s victory. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) “He chased furiously in Mexico to try to limit the damage and drove a hell of a race. But his championship lead is lost. “McLaren has Norris to the top of the standings with four races remaining. It’s hard not to feel just a little jilted.” Whateley is far from alone in this view. The team’s set-up changes in recent weeks have reportedly been significant and have pushed Piastri to race well outside his comfort zone. VIEW GALLERY Speaking after the race in Mexico, Piastri said his car hadn’t changed but he had realised he needed to tweak aspects of his driving style to get the best out of car at certain tracks. “The whole race I was right behind someone, and just struggling in dirty air,” he said. “For me, the biggest thing is trying to learn the things I wanted to learn today. “Yesterday, it became obvious after the (qualifying) session that there were a few things I needed to change pretty majorly about how I was driving. Today was about trying to limit the damage and trying to learn some things. If I made some progress with that then I’m happy.” The 24-year-old fought hard to recover some points to remain in the title fight with Norris and Verstappen, but said: “When your teammate wins the race, finishing fifth is nothing that extravagant.” Watch Oscar Piastri speak about his struggles in the video above Oscar Piastri was a forlorn figure after the Mexican Grand Prix. Photo: Fox Sports. “I’ve had to drive very differently the last couple of weekends, or not driven differently when I should have,” Piastri explained. “That has been a little bit strange to get my head around. I’ve been driving the same as I have all year but these last couple of weekends the car or the tyres have required a different way of driving. “Tried a few things to change things up today, once we analyse if it’s effective or not, that’ll hopefully see some progress. “The car’s not changed for a while now. It’s nothing to do with the car. Given how the pace has differentiated the past couple of races, clearly Lando’s found it a bit easier to dial into that and I haven’t it. Plenty of analysis to try get on top of that. “It’s important to remember for the other 19 races, the way I’ve been driving has been working pretty well. It’s more about adding tools to the toolbox rather than reinventing myself.” Why is Piastri slower than Norris? McLaren’s car hasn’t had an upgrade since it brought in a new floor at July’s British Grand Prix and the team won’t bring an upgrade before season’s end, instead choosing to focus on the 2026 car. Piastri chose not to use some of the new front suspension components available to both McLaren drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix, because he hadn’t had an issue with his car set-up while Norris was complaining of “numbness” in the car earlier in the year. “For me, it’s not an upgrade,” Piastri said at the time when the suspension became available. “It’s just something that is different. It makes some things potentially a bit better, it makes some things a bit worse.” Pressed about the McLaren drivers’ different setups, former world champ Jacques Villeneuve said: “He (Piastri) probably tried it but every driver on the planet drives differently. You cannot just put a setup and it will work on everyone. Oscar Piastri can’t quite seem to get his McLaren firing on all cylinders. (Photo by Carl DE SOUZA / AFP) “Lando’s probably driving better than before and Oscar’s driving a little bit worse. “If he’s a bit stressed and drives tight, not comfortable and smooth, that will take a bit away as well and he will never find the balance of the car. He needs to get back into a comfortable, calm zone.” Sky Sports F1 analyst Jamie Chadwick said: “What people sometimes don’t realise is how complex these cars are. Yes he’s in the same car as his teammate but there’s so much you can do to refine it, make it more individual and make it suit you better. “That does equate to lap time immediately. Whatever they’ve done is working for Lando but it isn’t working for Oscar. This momentum is real. It’s game on for Lando.” Some F1 fans have been convinced Piastri and Norris are driving cars with different setups in a bid for the team to prioritise the Brit, but the team has shut down that theory. “We know that we’ve added tools to the toolbox with Oscar, which will make him definitely even stronger for an exciting final part of the championship,” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said after the race in Mexico. Season Standings M. Verstappen L. Hamilton K. Antonelli N. Hulkenberg Stella had said after qualifying: “Every evidence, every piece of data, every indirect measurement of information we have tells us that there is no problem with the car, and we have no reason to suspect that that’s the case. “The fastest car is also a car that needs to be driven in a certain way. “Especially when you have conditions like here and to some extent in Austin, with hot tarmac, sliding tyres, and the way in which you generate lap time is a way that, I would say, comes relatively naturally for Lando and less naturally for Oscar. You know, Lando is the driver of going on low grip: end of the stint, when the tyres are quite worn, used, the grip is low, is where we see Lando doing green sector, green sector, green sector. More Coverage ‘F***ing killed’: Marshall incident rocks F1 Indian star in ICU, teammates leave country “Oscar, instead, is more of a driver of high grip, that’s where he can exploit his incredible talent. At the same time, we don’t have to forget that while we talk about the leader in the drivers’ championship, he’s not even finished the third season in Formula 1. “Nothing to worry, I think it’s more a calibration exercise for Oscar. I’m sure this calibration will pay off.” The remaining four races this season are at Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi — circuits where Piastri finished eighth, seventh, third and 10th last season. Join the conversation (17 Comments) Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Join the conversation, you are commenting as More related stories ‘Hate it’: Norris left speechless by ugly act Lando Norris copped some vicious backlash after winning the Mexican Grand Prix in an awkward moment that left him speechless. ‘F***ing killed’: Marshall incident rocks F1 A Formula 1 driver has been left shaken after a shocking moment where he nearly struck two people running across the track. McLaren responds to Piastri sabotage theory Oscar Piastri has made a major admission about why he is struggling as McLaren shut down claims the team is favouring Lando Norris. Registration In The Know Quiz Newsletters Competitions Welcome to news.com.au Code of Conduct Help and Support General Feedback Advertise with us Standards of Practice Licensing & Reprints Our News Network The Daily Telegraph The Courier Mail Our Partners realestate.com.au CODE Sports A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out.Sometimes our articles will try to help you find the right product at the right price. We may receive payment from third parties for publishing this content or when you make a purchase through the links on our sites. 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