Why can't "a bit too calm" Oscar Piastri find the form he had this time last year?

What followed was a dramatic collapse. The turning point came after the Italian Grand Prix. Piastri's campaign unravelled rapidly, culminating in a disastrous Azerbaijan Grand Prix that remains arguably the worst weekend of his Formula 1 career. A championship that seemed his to lose, he lost as teammate Lando Norris mounted a successful fightback.

Heading into this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, the contrast with 12 months ago is stark. Piastri has beaten Norris only once in the opening five rounds of the 2026 season, and trails the reigning World Champion by 10 points.

Prompting fresh questions about whether the Australian is still driving with the same hunger and urgency that defined his breakthrough title challenge. Former Formula 1 driver Riccardo Patrese believes the biggest difference may not be speed, but mentality.

Looking at Piastri's performances this season, Patrese expected to see more fire from a driver who came so close to becoming World Champion only a year ago: "I thought Piastri would have had a little bit more nerves than he has shown. It looks a little bit too calm. You see Antonelli, how he responds in the car, how he tried so hard in the sprint race in Canada."

The Italian pointed to Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli as an example of a driver determined to seize every opportunity available, even if it means occasionally overstepping the mark.

For Patrese, Piastri appears to be taking a more measured approach: "After he lost the championship last year, he is driving calmly, you know; he seems happy with what he has." But he shouldn't be. He had a big chance last year, but he lost to Norris."

Patrese's concern extends beyond McLaren and mirrors advice he says he regularly gives Antonelli as the Mercedes rookie battles teammate George Russell at the front of the championship.

The former Grand Prix winner believes young drivers can never assume another title opportunity will come around: "It is the same story at Mercedes this year. I tell Kimi, who I speak to regularly, 'Please don't let this train go away.'"

"You have to win the championship because it's not certain that next year the same opportunity will be there. This is what happened with Piastri and Norris," Patrese observed.

The motorsport veteran and Grand Prix winner argue that Formula 1 history is filled with drivers who expected future chances only to discover circumstances had changed. Teams rise and fall, regulations shift, and competitive advantages disappear far quicker than many anticipate.

For that reason, he believes Piastri must rediscover the urgency that carried him to the front of the championship battle last season: "You have to take your chance when it is there."

Whether Monaco proves the start of that response remains to be seen, but with Norris holding the upper hand and Antonelli emerging as another serious contender, Piastri can ill afford to let another title challenge drift away.