Oscar Piastri is battling against a ‘double mental struggle’ as he looks to stem constant attacks from both Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, according to former FIA steward and Benetton F1 star, Johnny Herbert.
Piastri left the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August with a 34-point advantage over team-mate Norris and over 100 points in his pocket compared to third-placed Verstappen. However, since then, the tables have flipped, and the Australian racer is now trailing his team-mate by one point heading into the final four rounds of the year.
Verstappen, meanwhile, is also in play, closing to within 36 points of new World Championship leader Norris. What has facilitated this turnaround is the rapid deterioration of Piastri’s race pace. Since Zandvoort, his results have been third, DNF, fourth, fifth, and fifth again, and he has failed to outscore either of his rivals during this period.
According to Herbert, the unique situation of fighting two different drivers might be playing into his slump. “Piastri is frustrated, which is understandable,” he told AdventureGamers. “Has he got the car to be able to deliver those race wins again? Absolutely.
“Is his confidence a bit low? It’s just the little pieces are not quite where they need to be. You’ve just got to slot those pieces into the right areas. Confidence is something I don’t think is going to come into play for him.
“What he’s obviously going to have to deal with is how it’s been going on the other side of the garage, seeing how quick and at one Lando seems to be. That’s that powerful mental game that starts to come into play.”
Herbert continued: “The worry wasn’t Lando going into Mexico. It was Max. So again, it’s twisted again. He is having a double mental struggle because it’s Max and it’s Lando. Max has closed the gap on Oscar. Hopefully, he uses some of what Lando’s learnt from the little changes that have come into play.
“So, it’s only going to be a mental game. I don’t see him suddenly collapsing mentally because it doesn’t work like that. It’s very easy for a top sportsman, and it can happen very quickly, where a switch is flicked, and everything comes alive again.”
Fortunately for Piastri, there is still time to turn the ship around. Four rounds are remaining in the 2025 season, including two sprint weekends, meaning there are plenty of points on offer.
Even better is that Norris’ form hasn’t exactly been imperious. The Brit dominated in Mexico City last time out, but has mostly been second-best to Verstappen, and he failed to capitalise on Piastri’s DNF in Azerbaijan, finishing down in seventh with his title rival watching on from the sidelines.
