Oscar Piastri was never really in contention for a maiden Formula 1 title during the season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Even if he had found a way to get into the lead of the race, he still needed teammate Lando Norris to be sixth or lower, which wasn’t even close to happening.
It was a disappointing end to a campaign which had shown so much promise at one stage. The Aussie had a 34-point championship lead.
But for a variety of reasons, including poor form, Piastri lost command of proceedings and became more of an outsider by the time teams arrived in Abu Dhabi. McLaren still gave him a good car.
Nico Rosberg warned Piastri that his team would back Norris because he had the more favourable situation.
In the end, the Briton managed his race well and didn’t end up needing any assistance. Third place is what he needed, and it’s what he achieved.
Nico Rosberg thinks missing FP1 ‘cost’ Oscar Piastri at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
McLaren have a backup plan for Piastri, with doubts over how much longer he will be at the team if tensions continue to rise.
He now must undergo a reset over the next two months and get himself prepared to get back in a new car ahead of the 2026 regulations.
Testing starts at the end of January, and every lap will be crucial. The same was the case in Abu Dhabi, where McLaren disrupted Piastri’s weekend by replacing him with Pato O’Ward in FP1.
Meanwhile, Norris remained in his car, getting the perfect preparation. It’s a decision that Nico Rosberg questioned on Sky Sports F1.
“That definitely cost you a little bit, but it seems to have cost him a lot. He really was on the back foot in FP2, didn’t find his rhythm. That’s really played against him this weekend.
“Perhaps a strange decision from McLaren to leave it to the last race for Oscar to give up his car. He would have been involved in that decision, but it’s a mistake.”
Why Oscar Piastri was super unfortunate not to finish at least second in 2025
Looking back on Formula 1 history, no driver has ever finished third in the championship, despite having seven victories.
This season, Piastri managed just that. In fairness to title rival Verstappen, he had the most wins and failed to win, too, which hasn’t happened in the last decade.
Second or third won’t make too much of a difference to Piastri. After a hard-fought season, he’ll need to wind down and reflect on where things went wrong.
He rediscovered his form, right at the end of the campaign, but it was just a little too late for him to really push for the title at the finale.
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