One race after the summer break, Oscar Piastri was on top of the Formula One world. He had broken the resistance of the current world champion and his team mate’s DNF in Zandvoort left him an almost unassailable 34 points clear of Lando Norris.
Given that McLaren had won twelve of the first fifteen Grand Prix, it was expected this form would continue with both drivers trading 1-2’s to the end of the season,. Meaning without a DNF for Piastri it would be the Australian who claimed his maiden F1 drivers’ championship.
Just four races later and the wheels have fallen from Oscar’s racing wagon. Crashes and false starts in Baku began his demise then in Singapore he was dominated by his team mate and failed to make the podium.
Piastri scrapes through to Q3
The US GP which is a low grip circuit proved tough for Piastri, again with him trailing Norris for most of there weekend finishing just fifth. Now in Mexica, where the grip is also low, the young McLaren driver has had a nightmare in qualifying and will start the race in seventh place, due to a one position promotion due to Carlos Sainz grid drop.
His only saving grace is Verstappen who looked the most dangerous in terms of the title challenge – and was the bookies favourite – is having a tough weekend of his own. He and the team failed to nail the ride height of his RB21 and he is set for a long and difficult afternoon trying to keep his tyres alive.
TJ13 predicted this would be a rough weekend for Oscar, although the gap to his team mate is remarkably large. Oscar had an extra practice session over Verstappen and Norris who gave their cars in FP1 to junior drivers. Yet despite the extra time to fine tune his setup, Piastri was 6/10ths behind his team mate in FP2 and roughly the same margin behind in FP3.
Come qualifying, Oscar almost missed out on Q3 such was his lack of performance, but he pipped Yuki Tsunoda by 0.079 seconds to survive although Q3 was to prove little better. His P8 classification (before grid drops) was again 0.6 seconds behind his pole sitter team mate Lando Norris.
Conspiracy & Sabotage theories
puch is the consistency of his deficit to his team mate, fans on social media have begun to call McLaren foul play.
@McLarenF1 so you expect us to believe piastri is suddenly 6 tenths slower than norris and 8th in the fastest car after being ahead of him the entire year? clear sabotage.
Nobody is convincing me that McLaren hasn’t done something to slow down or sabotage Oscar Piastri’s car over the last couple weeks and this weekend in Mexico. #F1 #MexicoGP.
“The gap was big,” Oscar admits
These are just two of the hundreds of people who are questioning whether McLaren have secretly nobbled Piastri’s car. Osca himself did little to dissuade the tin foil hats when he appeared mystified at his dramatic loss of pace.
“The gap was big in that session and it’s been big all weekend,” Piastri admitted. “There’s been some things where I felt like I can tidy it up and make some easy progress, but not all of it. And I think in qualifying, I feel like I did a reasonable job and the car felt reasonable as well. So, yeah, the lack of lap time is a bit of a mystery.”
Last time out in Austin the gap to Norris in each of the qualifying sessions was between two tenths and three tenths of a second. Piastri was asked about the similarity between the weekends but he insisted matters were worse in Mexico.
“I think what’s been a bit surprising here has just been that the gap [to Norris] has been the same pretty much every session,” added the Australian. “I feel like I’ve done some decent laps through the weekend, but everything seems to be about four or five tenths off. So that’s obviously not a great sign. But some of the things that were difficult in Austin are also proving difficult here.”
Norris pole in Mexico whilst investigations against F1 team launched
Stella identifies Piastri weakness
Following the race in Austin, Texas, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella had this to say. “I think we know with Oscar that when the conditions are such that we have low grip you really need to challenge the car, lean on the understeer, oversteer, locking. This is an area of his driving that has an opportunity to improve and in Oscar’s standards this means that you will improve pretty fast and I think today we got quite a lot of information that adds to the information we got yesterday.”
Stella also observed that Piastri was just “milliseconds” off his team mate in each corner, yet across the seventeen turns this simply does not add up. Oscar’s pace through the speed trap was similar to his team mate, which would suggest they are running similar setups.
Why Red Bull future plans don’t include Tsunoda
Norris certain to lead championship
Pressed as to whether he was suffering the same feeling as in Austin last weekend, Piastri revealed: “I think from Austin there were some things that were clear,” Piastri said. “But even those things that were clear were a bit unusual, some of the differences. Again, this weekend it’s been a bit different.
“I’ve not changed really how I’m driving since the start of the season and even a few races ago when things were going really well. So it’s difficult to pinpoint where the lap time’s been lacking this weekend. But I’m sure we’ll find it,” concluded the current championship leader.
Without a DNF, its almost certain Lando Norris will takeover the lead of the championship after the Mexican Grand Prix, even a P5 for Oscar would see him behind by a point. For those hoping for a three way battle for the championship, unfortunately Max Verstappen believes the race pace of the RB21 will not be strong enough.
Mexico GP: Marko contradicts Verstappen prediction
Marko disagrees with Verstappen’s prediction for the Mexican Grand Prix – Helmut Marko has a different outlook on Red Bull Racing’s prospects for the race than Verstappen does. While Verstappen expressed concerns about the team’s pace and competitiveness, Marko believes that a podium finish is still within reach for the Austrian team.
In an interview with Sky Sports Germany, Red Bull’s senior advisor offered a more optimistic assessment of the team’s chances in Mexico City. “We improved, but lost two tenths in sector two,” he explained. “That happened in just two corners. Tomorrow will be very difficult; tyre wear will be decisive.”
Despite acknowledging the team’s ongoing challenges, Marko still expects a strong performance. “I think Lando Norris will be untouchable here,” he said. “It is possible to beat the rest. The best we can hope for is a podium place.”…. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
Mclaren isn’t anymore
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