Oscar Piastri needs to adapt quicker if he wants to be champion

Oscar Piastri’s near-flawless Formula 1 season hit its first real snag in Mexico City. The Australian, who had led the championship for much of the year, left the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez with a fifth-place finish and the uneasy sense that he’s suddenly on the back foot.

For a driver whose rise has been built on composure and precision, the race in Mexico exposed the one area he still needs to master — adaptability. Piastri’s struggles were not the result of a slower car or team error.

In fact, he was quick to clarify that nothing had changed mechanically.

“The car’s obviously not changed for a while now, so it is nothing to do with the car,” he admitted. “I’ve just had to drive very differently the last couple of weekends … I’ve been driving exactly the same as I have all year. It’s just that the car or the tyres or something have required quite a different way of driving.”

That “different way” was dictated by Mexico’s unique challenges. Sitting more than 2,200 metres above sea level, the thin air robs cars of downforce and grip, turning even the best-balanced chassis into a slippery handful.

To be fast there, a driver needs to dance on the edge — sliding the car, oversteering into corners and trusting instinct more than precision. It’s a style that suits Lando Norris, who thrives in low-grip conditions and finished comfortably ahead in fourth.

For Piastri, whose natural style depends on stability and pinpoint accuracy, Mexico was a mismatch. His driving rhythm — built around clean corner entries and predictable balance — didn’t yield the same lap time when the McLaren had to be hustled in a looser, more aggressive fashion.

“We tried a few things today and we’ll have a look if that’s what we were looking for,” he said afterward, suggesting that adaptation, not frustration, was now his focus.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella noted that Norris had found it “a bit easier to dial into” the low-grip regime, while Piastri was still learning how to extract the same performance when the car slides.

The difference was visible: Norris looked comfortable attacking kerbs and corners, while Piastri seemed to drive within himself — safe, but not spectacular.

Looking ahead, the calendar offers a mixed outlook for the young Australian. Next up is Brazil’s Interlagos, a bumpy but flowing circuit that rewards consistency and rhythm over aggression — a track that should suit Piastri’s smoother approach.

The medium-grip surface and long, sweeping corners will allow him to reassert the control and precision that defined his early-season dominance.

After that comes the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a street circuit where the cold temperatures and slick asphalt will again test drivers’ adaptability. Like Mexico, Vegas will offer little mechanical grip, but its long straights and slow corners will reward patience and traction management — areas where Piastri’s tidy style could shine if he can keep his tyres in the right window.

The championship picture remains wide open, but Piastri now trails Norris by a single point. The difference lies less in outright pace than in comfort zones. To reclaim the lead — and his shot at a debut world title — the former F2 champion must evolve beyond what’s familiar.

He’s proven all season that he has the precision, racecraft, and maturity of a future champion. Now, with two critical rounds ahead, he has the chance to prove something even more valuable: that he can adapt under pressure.

Can the young Aussie finish strong and lift his first Formula 1 crown? The next few races will define not just his season — but maybe also the beginning of his legacy in F1.