What McLaren rivals are ‘internally’ saying about Oscar Piastri as F1 title bid unravels

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Oscar Piastri enters this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix 24 points behind teammate Lando Norris – the same position he was in before Las Vegas. That’s after the two McLarens were disqualified last weekend.

While it allowed race-winner Max Verstappen to tie him on points, McLaren’s disqualification was arguably good news for Piastri. Norris would have increased the gap to 30 otherwise.

But Verstappen’s chances of catching Norris appear far greater based on recent form. The Dutchman has already swallowed a 104-point deficit to Piastri in the space of seven Grands Prix.

Finish the sentence: In 2027, Oscar Piastri will be driving for…

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Piastri has only scored one podium in that stretch, and none in his last eight starts. There’s some optimism that the Qatar circuit may suit his driving style better, but his belief may be ebbing away.

Mercedes have ruled Oscar Piastri out of the F1 title race

Speaking on the Formel Schmidt podcast, Auto Motor und Sport journalist Michael Schmidt suggested that Piastri had ‘lost confidence’ in the McLaren team months ago.

The turning point was the Italian GP, when he was asked to return second place to Norris after the Briton’s slow pit stop. He had been allowed to pit first to cover off the cars behind.

McLaren will not make Norris their number one driver this weekend even though it could theoretically help them beat Verstappen. Schmidt doubts that he would have played ball regardless.

“He’s already a bit burned,” he said. “Since Monza, since that swap of positions, he has lost confidence in the team.

“I don’t think he’ll let anyone tell him [to do] anything that goes against his interests. He can still become world champion, just like Max Verstappen.”

Schmidt’s colleague, Joel Lischka, added that Mercedes staff ‘no longer’ see Piastri as a serious title contender.

He said: “We were at Mercedes, where internally they no longer really believe that Piastri will win the title.”

If Oscar Piastri wins every remaining race, where does Lando Norris need to finish?

Piastri won his first F1 race of any description in the 2023 Qatar Sprint. He followed that up with a runner-up finish in the Grand Prix.

Last year, Norris pulled over on the run to the chequered flag to let Piastri win the Sprint race, returning the favour from an earlier swap in Brazil.

The Australian has maintained a 100% podium record in Lusail since his debut, which should give him confidence heading into this weekend. While Max Verstappen is the Qatar Grand Prix favourite, a double win could propel Piastri back into the hunt.

If Piastri then took victory in Abu Dhabi, Norris would need a minimum of 34 points. One way he could achieve that is with two third-place finishes in the last two GPs, and a fifth in this Saturday’s Sprint.