Mark Webber reveals how he plans to help Oscar Piastri behind the scenes after Brazil disappointment

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Mark Webber could play a pivotal role behind the scenes in helping Oscar Piastri win the 2025 Formula 1 world championship.

Oscar Piastri hasn’t had the best time on his three visits to Interlagos at this stage of his Formula 1 career.

After starting in the top 10 during his maiden campaign, Piastri finished 14th, and he could only secure P8 during last season’s torrential conditions.

However, Piastri should have won the Sprint Race at last year’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, only to hand victory to Lando Norris to keep his title aspirations alive.

McLaren couldn’t expect that same level of camaraderie this year, with their drivers only separated by a point heading into the weekend.

What followed was a masterclass from Norris, who has now established a 24-point advantage over the Australian.

Norris was disappointed not to be as fast as Verstappen on race day, but standing on the top step of the podium while Piastri missed out on a top-three finish for the fifth consecutive race would have softened that particular blow.

Mark Webber is Piastri’s manager and has played a crucial role during his F1 career thus far.

While some people in the paddock are questioning Webber’s role in Piastri’s camp, he’s already moved on to work out what he needs to tell his protege to keep his championship hopes alive.

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Mark Webber will get Oscar Piastri ‘turned around’ after Brazilian Grand Prix disappointment

Webber was speaking about Piastri on Channel 4 during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend.

He was asked whether it was easier being in a title battle himself against Sebastian Vettel or watching on as Piastri’s mentor and explained: “I think it was, believe it or not, nearly easier when I was in the car, because obviously you’re across everything, you’ve got more control over what can happen, even obviously, it was a tremendous fight with. Also, with Lewis and Fernando, the four of us went to Abu Dhabi.

“From a distance with Oscar, but still obviously, heavily involved, he’s so young in his career as Seb was.

“Seb was… I was a bit older in my career, so it was a different part of our trajectory and journey, if you like. But to see him so young, year three, fighting for a world title, quite quickly, it’s pretty surreal and bizarre, but nice to be involved in.

“A lot of drivers don’t fight for a title once in their career, so it’s sort of like, you’ve got to try and find the positives, but also you want to, of course, win.”

After the race, Webber was asked what he would be saying to Piastri in the run-up to the final three races of the season and said: “Well, get him turned around. I don’t think he’s low motivation, put it that way.

“He’s had a tough run, but this is about character, about fighting those deep motivations that you need at this point to come back.

“And you know, this is a third year in F1, so he’s got to find a character to come back.”

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Oscar Piastri must remember what he said at the end of the 2024 F1 season as title hopes fade

Piastri still has a chance to overturn the deficit to Norris, as he only needs one DNF for the championship to swing back in his direction.

Norris crashed out of the inaugural race in Las Vegas and finished seventh last year as Verstappen claimed his fourth championship.

Piastri privately claimed he would be the 2025 F1 champion after the final race in Abu Dhabi last year.

Despite his calm and understated persona, the Australian is extremely determined, and needs to remain so if he’s going to pull off a similar level of comeback as Norris has done over the past few rounds.

Webber will be vital to keeping him focused at this stage, and working out why he’s not currently able to reach the same level as Norris during the most important moments of each race weekend.