What is going on with Oscar Piastri?

After the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Piastri was 34 points ahead of Lando Norris. That advantage has since become a 58-point swing in Norris’s favour, a collapse few saw coming. Juan Pablo Montoya gave his take on the Australian's demise after the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

The Colombian motosport legend and Grand Prix winner summed up the turnaround: “You look at how far back Lando Norris has had to come from, he was 30 plus points away and now he has a 24-point advantage. If he keeps this up, he’ll win the championship before we reach Abu Dhabi.”

Montoya believes the shift is as much about car characteristics as confidence. “McLaren realised they were not quicker than Red Bull in qualifying, so they’ve changed the car to be better suited to getting pole. You look at Mexico, Piastri was really predictable and had a lot of understeer.

"The car changed, it was harder to make certain turns that other cars could make comfortably. Norris knew he was faster than Piastri, and his confidence has increased massively," explained Montoya, who pointed to the woeful Baku weekend as the start of the Australian's downfall.

Fast forward, Piastri’s sprint DNF in Brazil and a penalty in the main race compounded the damage. Montoya said: “You look at Oscar Piastri, he looked solid in the race, but as soon as he had that collision, I knew he was going to get a penalty. Everyone was asking ‘Why? It’s a racing incident,’ but that’s the rules, even if they’re not right. Piastri didn’t do anything wrong, but the way the law works, if you lock up you’re not in control of that car.”

He added that Piastri should have been more assertive: “Piastri should’ve been more aggressive against Kimi Antonelli, which would have led to a likely collision between Charles Leclerc and Antonelli anyway, but Piastri wouldn’t have got a penalty. It’s a bit crazy that you’re in a better position to argue your case if you’re more aggressive.”

Montoya was blunt about the Australian’s current form: “The problem is, Piastri has no speed. When he ended up being second after the incident with Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc in Brazil, Norris was able to get away from him. Norris had seven or eight seconds on Piastri.

"What’s the excuse? In Mexico it was low grip, in Brazil it was bumpy. Las Vegas won’t be a strong track for McLaren because of the low downforce, so if Piastri has an average race he can lose 10 to 15 points.”

Even so, Montoya has not completely ruled him out: “He can go to Las Vegas and win with a Lando Norris DNF, then Piastri will lead the championship by a point. It’s not over until the fat lady sings.”

Montoya conceded Max Verstappen’s title hopes are gone: “The person who is out of the race for the championship is Max Verstappen. The point gap is too big and you’re not going to get two DNFs for both of the McLarens in three races left.”

Yet he praised the Red Bull driver’s reputation and resilience: “Yeah, Max Verstappen is the people’s champion. He is the bad guy that doesn’t take sh*t from anybody, fans can relate to him. But at the end of the day, when we get to Abu Dhabi, we’ll have a different world champion.”

Norris’s rise has also changed the mood in the grandstands. Montoya said: “Everyone is booing Lando Norris because they all assume McLaren is prioritising him to win the championship. I think McLaren have changed the car to make it stronger in qualifying.

"Norris can drive it, Oscar Piastri can’t. Formula 1 is not a popularity contest, it’s about destroying your opponents. If fans and drivers hate you, it’s an even better reason to destroy them with your performances.”

Montoya believes Norris’s assertiveness at Monza marked a turning point: “When Lando Norris stood up to Max Verstappen in Monza, it was a good thing for his mentality. He’s not allowing to be pushed around anymore and that goes a long way. I feel bad for Oscar Piastri, though, he just seems confused by his expression and he doesn’t understand why there’s no speed when he isn’t driving any differently than before.”

With just Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi left, the window for redemption is closing fast. Norris could mathematically seal the championship before the finale, while Piastri’s challenge now hangs by a thread.

As Montoya said, “It’s not over until the fat lady sings,” but unless McLaren find balance that suits both cars again, the Australian’s once-promising campaign risks ending as one of the sharpest declines in recent F1 title memory.