David Coulthard says Oscar Piastri is showing symptoms of F1 fatigue as title hopes fade

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Oscar Piastri has fallen from the benchmark he set earlier in the 2025 Formula 1 season. While Lando Norris and McLaren’s rivals have improved since the summer break, Piastri will be focused on his own failings.

Until Azerbaijan, consistency was Piastri’s biggest asset. He only missed out on the podium twice in 16 races.

But Piastri crashed out twice in Baku and hasn’t finished in the top three since. In the same period, Norris boasts a 100% podium record and two victories.

Over one lap, Norris has taken control too. His pole position in Las Vegas levels the season head-to-head at 11 apiece; Piastri had been four up after Singapore.

David Coulthard says fatigue is the ‘only’ explanation for Oscar Piastri’s drop-off

Speaking during Channel 4’s qualifying highlights, David Coulthard recalled that he used to get tired halfway through a season. When he was racing, the season never went beyond 19 events.

Now it stands at 24, and there’s a possibility that Piastri is succumbing to the demands of the schedule. It’s only his third season in Formula 1, whereas Norris may be more used to it.

Indeed, the Briton appears to be peaking at the perfect moment. This is likely a happy coincidence, rather than a deliberate strategy from a driver who looked a little uncomfortable in the MCL39 at first.

“I can only put it down to fatigue,” Coulthard said. “It is a long season. When I raced many years ago, I remember being really tired at the middle of the year knowing that there was still half a season to go.

“I think, maybe, the experience that Lando has, his seventh year of Formula 1, knowing how to pace himself, that starts to shine through.”

David Coulthard is wrong – there’s another explanation for McLaren turnaround

Neither Piastri nor Norris have experienced a season-long title fight before. The latter got close enough to Max Verstappen in the middle third of 2024 to create some intrigue, but the dynamic was very different.

It’s possible that Piastri isn’t ready to win a championship, but he will benefit hugely from the experience he’s gained this year, even if he is defeated.

But Juan Pablo Montoya thinks McLaren’s car now favours Norris. He says this was the unintended consequence of the team’s development direction.

It could also come down to circuits. Piastri has admitted he has weak tracks, and historical performances suggest these fall predominantly at the end of the year.