Oscar Piastri can probably point to more than a few moments in 2025 that cost him the Formula 1 title. He ended up third, just 13 points behind Lando Norris.
Some might say there’s not much value in dwelling on the past, especially with pre-season testing for 2026 just around the corner.
But it’s worth noting how McLaren helped turn his qualifying into a strength over the winter. Last year, that was the main area holding him back and he matched Norris 12-12 in their head-to-head battles.
F1 Oversteer worked out that Piastri lost 47 points because of his own mistakes — more than enough to have made up the gap to Norris.
George Russell thought Oscar Piastri’s British GP penalty was harsh
Oscar Piastri is usually one of the calmest drivers on the grid, but there was one moment in 2025 where he let his frustration show.
The Australian had been leading the British Grand Prix before being hit with a 10-second penalty for erratic driving just before a safety car restart. The delay during his pit stop then opened the door for Lando Norris to take the win.
Piastri, who believed the penalty was harsh, asked McLaren if they would consider switching the cars back. That request went nowhere, and looking back at how tight the championship finished, those lost points stand out even more.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ F1 Show, pundit Karun Chandhok shared that GPDA director and Mercedes driver George Russell also felt Piastri didn’t deserve the penalty.
“I reckon he lost 31 points, including the disqualification in Vegas, and Lando lost 36 points between non-finishes and disqualifications,” said Chandhok.
“At Silverstone, I thought it was really harsh. The safety car turned its lights off very late. If you watch the onboard footage and speak to other drivers – including George Russell – they’ll tell you he shouldn’t have been penalised.”
Piastri’s 2025 penalties: A closer look at the key incidents
Oscar Piastri was handed three penalties for driving infractions during the 2025 season. Alongside his Silverstone penalty, he was also found at fault for a collision with Kimi Antonelli in Brazil.
Max Verstappen publicly questioned why McLaren didn’t contest the Sao Paulo decision, viewing it as even more controversial than the Silverstone call.
Piastri also received a five-second penalty for moving before the start of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but this became irrelevant after he crashed out on the opening lap.
In addition to those incidents, Piastri picked up two warnings and two reprimands during the season, mostly related to violations of yellow and red flag procedures.
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