Martin Brundle explains why he’s ‘absolutely certain’ that Oscar Piastri is a future F1 world champion

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Oscar Piastri looked in a strong position to win the 2025 Formula 1 title after he claimed his seventh win of the season at Zandvoort. However, he ended up finishing third in the standings.

Damon Hill had Piastri as the odds-on favourite to win the championship after the Dutch GP. He led the standings by 34 points after Lando Norris suffered a mechanical retirement.

But his win at Zandvoort would be his last of 2025. McLaren’s controversial team orders at Monza sparked a difficult run of form for Piastri in the final races.

LANDO NORRIS IS WORLD CHAMPION 🏆

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Max Verstappen wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as Lando Norris becomes 2025 Formula 1 champion

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Piastri made countless mistakes, which cost him 47 points in the title battle. He sat 26 points behind Norris in the standings ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

At the season finale, Max Verstappen claimed victory over Piastri, but Norris came third to seal his first F1 title. It is a damning blow for the Australian, given how comfortably he was in the lead at one stage.

Martin Brundle is ‘absolutely certain’ that Oscar Piastri will win at least one F1 championship

Piastri congratulated Norris’ family after the race, earning applause from Martin Brundle. He felt it was a ‘nice touch’ from the 24-year-old to show his respect to his title rival.

Brundle’s praise for Piastri came throughout the Abu Dhabi GP. Speaking on Sky Sports F1’s coverage, he believes that the Aussie will be a world champion one day.

“If Oscar Piastri doesn’t win the world championship tonight, I’m absolutely certain he will win at least one world championship,” he said.

“He’s got age on his side, he’s so fast, so good. Got a calm head as well. He’s driving beautifully, but at the moment, the points are against him.”

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Can Oscar Piastri win the F1 championship in 2026?

While the McLaren star’s 2025 season did not end the way he would have hoped, he has more than proved his credentials as a future world champion.

Piastri has dominated races when in the right mindset and performance window. When everything comes together, he has proven to be a real headache for his rivals.

The 2026 F1 regulations throw up a whole new challenge for drivers and teams next season. No one knows where anyone will be until cars hit the track in pre-season testing.

Early indications suggest that Mercedes will have the fastest engine in 2026, which gives McLaren the best power unit, if the rumours are true. That would put Piastri in the best position to win the championship; a new season is the fresh start he needs.