Oscar Piastri isn’t here to play second fiddle anymore. After an impressive sophomore season in Formula 1, the McLaren driver believes 2025 is his time to shine—and more importantly, his time to challenge for the World Championship.
Having secured his maiden F1 victories in 2024 and helping McLaren clinch their first Constructors’ title since 1998, Piastri has rapidly established himself as a force on the grid. But despite his breakout performances, an 82-point deficit to teammate Lando Norris forced him into a supporting role last season.
Now, with a new season, a new car, and a fresh mindset, Piastri insists he’s done playing the apprentice.
“I Can Be World Champion This Year”
The 23-year-old Aussie is brimming with confidence ahead of the MCL39’s highly anticipated debut. After spending the offseason dissecting his weaknesses, Piastri believes he’s made the necessary improvements to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Norris and Verstappen.
“It’s definitely a clean slate,” Piastri asserted. “I do think that I can become World Champion this year.”
Gone are the days of playing second-best. While he acknowledges Norris was McLaren’s best shot against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Piastri is determined to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself.
“I was going into last season still with some weaknesses that I wasn’t particularly confident with. I think through last season I addressed them. It’s now just about doing that every weekend and putting my best foot forward.”
The Key to Piastri’s Title Charge: Mastering Saturdays
Despite a stunning rookie campaign and his breakthrough wins in 2024, one glaring weakness crippled Piastri’s title hopes—qualifying.
The numbers weren’t pretty:
- Lando Norris dominated him 20-4 in qualifying head-to-heads.
- Norris secured eight pole positions—Piastri had zero.
- Piastri was often forced to play catch-up in races, leaving him at a tactical disadvantage.
The young McLaren star knows his Saturdays must improve if he wants to control races rather than chase them.
“I said at the end of last season, qualifying is something I want to work on, but it’s not just about being faster. There are specific areas where, if I improve, everything else will fall into place.”
The McLaren Factor: A Car Capable of Taking the Fight to Red Bull
McLaren’s mid-season resurgence in 2024 saw them go from midfield contenders to outright race winners, a transformation that forced Red Bull to take notice. With the MCL39 rumored to be even more competitive from race one in 2025, Piastri knows he must be ready from the start.
“There’s going to be weekends where you’re not the quickest—that’s inevitable. The key is making the most of those weekends, maximizing every point, and keeping yourself in the title fight.”
McLaren, sensing a genuine shot at their first drivers’ title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, has backed Piastri heavily, working with him in the simulator to smooth out his rough edges. But even the best simulators can only do so much.
“Some things you can work on in the sim, but nothing replaces the real car,” he admitted. “Last year, I had to fight for my finishes and often improve from where I started—that can’t be replicated in the sim.”
A Ruthless New Mindset: Piastri Won’t Settle for Second Best
If McLaren’s car is a race-winning machine from the start, Piastri has no intention of playing second fiddle again. He’s already shown he has the raw speed, the racecraft, and the tenacity to mix it with the sport’s elite. Now, he’s adding another crucial ingredient: consistency.
The message is loud and clear—Oscar Piastri isn’t just here to win races.
He’s here to win a championship.