(Motorsport-Total.com) – McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has spoken openly about how a mental shift in the 2025 season changed his entire approach to Formula 1 and what a decisive impact this change had for him.
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In his third Formula 1 season, Piastri achieved a breakthrough to a new level of performance: third place overall, seven Grand Prix victories, and nine podium finishes speak for themselves. For comparison: in 2024, the Australian had finished the season in fourth place, with only two wins and six podium results.
Speaking to Quad Lock, the 25-year-old admits that the extent of this progress surprised even him: “Overall, the step I took from 2024 to 2025 was probably bigger than I and quite a few others had expected,” says Piastri.
Piastri knew: “Can win every weekend”
The decisive factor was primarily a mental shift. “It was a really cool thing to make that progress and go into the race weekends,” the McLaren driver describes, indicating how much his self-image as a contender for victory has changed in particular.
“I think that was the first year where I could go into every race weekend knowing: if I do my job well enough and get close to my potential, I can win every weekend,” adds the current sixth-placed driver in the World Championship.
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In previous years, there had always been individual weekends where this feeling was present, but never over a complete season. “And at the same time, there was always this question: What do I need to learn or improve next?”
Oscar Piastri: “That’s a pretty cool state to be in”
This process is never finished. “You’re always trying to develop further,” emphasizes Piastri, who nevertheless felt a difference in 2025. “To be at a level where I could go into most weekends thinking: if I deliver what I’m capable of, I can win. That’s a pretty cool state to be in.”
The start of the 2026 Formula 1 season is proving all the harder, as after the first three races, Piastri has only 21 points to his name. In Australia, he was unable to start at all after an accident on the reconnaissance lap, and in China, he was stopped by a technical defect.
It was only at the Japanese Grand Prix that Piastri actively rejoined the racing action – and promptly drove to second place. This makes it clear: the potential is still there, but the 2026 season is already demanding a high degree of resilience from the Australian early on.
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