Alex Jacques says Oscar Piastri has done something ‘remarkable’ at McLaren that could win him the 2025 F1 title

Follow us on Google Discover

Oscar Piastri’s fight with Lando Norris for the 2025 Formula 1 title is going to come right down to the wire.

Speaking exclusively to F1 Oversteer, Formula 1 commentator Alex Jacques has been talking to us during the summer break.

It’s McLaren’s job to manage the two drivers, and so far they’ve managed to keep things relatively clean on track, although there have been some uncomfortable moments.

Piastri’s lead in the drivers’ championship is now nine points, but reliability or a mistake could see that wiped in an instant.

Therefore, Norris must keep hammering away at the deficit and applying pressure to his less experienced teammate, in the hope that he will crack.

As it’s the main storyline in Formula 1 currently, McLaren are desperate to end the ‘nonsense’ and wrap up both titles as quickly as possible. They’re not bothered by who will win it.

Even team boss Andrea Stella has been ‘surprised’ at McLaren and how dominant they have been this season. No one has been able to get close to them consistently.

READ MORE: Juan Pablo Montoya has now seen a clear sign that Oscar Piastri is getting ‘heated’ at McLaren

Alex Jacques says Oscar Piastri’s improvement at McLaren has been ‘remarkable’

Piastri fans will love what Zak Brown said after he failed to win the Hungarian Grand Prix. He was proud to say that his drivers are free to race.

As long as damage is limited in this cost cap era, then it won’t affect the team’s ability to develop their car or build a strong car in the future.

Alex Jacques has spotted one thing that Piastri has done over the last few seasons which has impressed him in particular.

“I think the main difference between Formula 2 and Formula 1 is that the races are so much longer and the cars are so much faster,” he said.

“OK, that might sound obvious, but what does that mean in practicality? It means the way that you build the stints, the way that you look after your tyres, the way that you still have capacity for consistent lap times, has to be learned, and it takes a couple of years to get on top of that.

“His improvement of that, from year one to year two, was superb, and again, the improvement from year two into year three has been very, very strong,” continued Jacques.

“His improvement across an entire Grand Prix weekend, to be honest, has been remarkable.

“At Formula 2 level, his adaptability was his greatest strength. There were drivers who would be ahead of him some days in Formula 3 and Formula 2, but his consistency of always hitting that 98% mark. Just remarkably good then, and he’s only honed that in Formula 1.

“So, that trait has been improved, if you like, because the adaptability is there, but how quickly you can improve your weaknesses, he’s still doing that brilliantly, and still getting better with every race?”

READ MORE: Zak Brown says Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri ‘both’ gave the perfect answer on McLaren ‘bad blood’

Why Oscar Piastri should be prepared for an F1 title fight in 2025

Although Piastri is now in his third season of Formula 1, it’s easy to forget about the experience he accumulated in the lower formulas.

He won back-to-back in Formula 3 and Formula 2, before sitting out for a year in 2022 as he patiently waited for a seat as part of Alpine’s academy.

Eventually, McLaren came calling, and now he has been thrust into one of the most high-pressure situations in the sport at the age of 24.

Piastri was slammed for a ‘hopeless’ act at the Hungarian Grand Prix, as he attempted a late overtake on his teammate.

There’s going to be a lot more late moves and strong defence from both sides, as they look to seize a rare opportunity to lift the title.