Jenson Button admits he got one thing wrong about Oscar Piastri during his 2025 F1 title challenge

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Jenson Button will know exactly how McLaren driver Oscar Piastri is feeling heading into the final three races of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

After winning his only F1 drivers’ championship in 2009, Jenson Button is in a perfect position to reflect on how difficult Oscar Piastri is finding it to get over the line and win his first title.

Button stormed off into the lead that year, only for Brawn’s advantage to disappear in the second half of the season.

He managed to fend off the challenge from Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel, but Lando Norris in the other McLaren hasn’t afforded Piastri the same courtesy.

Piastri stumbled at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, his fourth straight race without a podium finish.

Button has been reflecting on his recent form and admitted that out of the two McLaren drivers, it would be Piastri who he believed would deal with the pressure of the drivers’ championship battle better at the end of the campaign.

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Jenson Button says Oscar Piastri hasn’t dealt with F1 title pressure as well as Lando Norris

Button was speaking on The F1 Show and talking about the two McLaren drivers. He said: “It’s funny because everyone was saying, including myself, that probably Oscar is the one who is going to deal with the pressure a little bit better, but it kind of feels like it’s turned around.

“I’m sure there are lots of things that we always go, well, it’s the pressure, that’s why he’s not performing.

“It could be many other things, but from firsthand, you know, I know how that feels in a championship. It is tough.”

David Croft then asked Button what Piastri needed to do to improve from here.

The now-retired F1 champion gave a detailed answer and explained what Piastri mustn’t do to try and rediscover his form: “For me, the big one was Mexico when you see Lando walking away with it with a massive lead, and Oscar is nowhere to be seen really.

“It’s a tough one, and we all have to deal with it in a different way.

“For me, it was having great people around me that could support and also just let me know I haven’t forgotten how to drive a racing car.

“But it just shows you that sport in general is such a mental game. All these drivers are super talented, have natural ability, and they work really, really hard.

“But then, when it comes down to it, that pressure on your shoulders changes everything. You start questioning yourself, and you tighten up under pressure; it just spirals.

“He obviously needs to look at where the car is. You can go down a rabbit hole, and that’s the biggest issue. Well, the car’s working for him [Norris], I need to find a setup that works for me.

“And sometimes that can be the worst thing because you don’t have much testing and you try so many different things, and you can get quite lost with it.”

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Mark Webber could be the key to Oscar Piastri overturning Lando Norris’ championship lead

As Button has explained, the support Piastri is receiving behind the scenes is going to be crucial, not just for the upcoming triple header, but to help him deal with whatever outcome arises at the end of this season.

Mark Webber has shared how he plans to help Piastri following his tough weekend in Sao Paulo.

Norris outscored his teammate by 23 points, and now knows that finishing second at every race between now and Abu Dhabi will be enough to win the championship.

Webber has explained why he thinks Norris is dealing with the pressure better than Piastri, with experience playing a key role despite the two drivers only being separated by a two-year age gap.

Although Button has advised Piastri not to chase what could be a mythical set-up change that will reverse his fortunes, it does look like Norris is dealing with the MCL39 far better than the Australian right now.

McLaren were forced to change Piastri’s set-up in Brazil over plank wear concerns, and that could be a problem once again at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.