Oscar Piastri Can’t Catch a Break
After a disappointing end to last season—where he lost the world championship to McLaren teammate Lando Norris—Oscar Piastri could have used a steady, confidence-boosting start to F1 2026.
But his struggles continued at last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, where a pre-race accident delivered another gut punch.
A version of this article originally appeared in conclusions from the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.
History shows that drivers who come close to winning the world championship, only to miss out, often need time to recover. Mark Webber, for instance, was a favorite for the 2010 title but fell short in the final race. He wouldn’t stand atop a podium again until the last round of the following season. Similarly, Nico Rosberg led Lewis Hamilton in 2014 but finished second, spending much of 2015 regrouping before claiming the championship in 2016.
Piastri’s patchy finish to 2025 meant that losing to Norris, while disappointing, shouldn’t have been entirely shocking. His calm, measured demeanor off the track suggested he could handle it—yet perhaps he’s still processing the sting of letting a 34-point lead slip after Zandvoort. The questions that lingered through the winter—What could I have done differently?—are the kind that haunt elite athletes. Missed opportunities of that magnitude don’t come around often. Blink, and suddenly you’re Mark Webber.
The real blow for Piastri in Australia was that, once again, he looked the stronger McLaren. Norris never fully recovered from lost running in FP1, while Piastri appeared sharper and more complete after a year of experience. But a small misjudgment and an unexpected 100-kilowatt power surge on the reconnaissance lap led to a hard impact with the wall—this time in his hometown. Any hope of a fresh start for 2026 vanished in an instant.
What Happened in Melbourne?
Speaking to after the accident, Piastri admitted that “a big element of that was me.” He acknowledged that using the Turn 4 exit kerb on the reconnaissance lap was perhaps unwise, even though he had done so safely all weekend.
At the same time, a sudden power surge from the Mercedes engine caught him off guard. “Cold tyres, plus about 100 kilowatts extra power I didn’t expect, which is not insignificant,” he said. “Everything was working normally—it’s just how the engines operate under the rules. That part is difficult to accept.”
Moments before the crash, Piastri reported over team radio that his battery was “completely empty already” just after leaving the pits. In that context, the unexpected power boost becomes easier to understand.
The combination of lingering disappointment from 2025 and a harsh start to 2026 means Piastri’s challenges aren’t over. But if history is any guide, this is just part of the journey for a young driver of his talent.