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Oscar Piastri once looked in full control of the championship battle. The young Australian held a comfortable lead earlier this season, but since Baku, things have gone rapidly downhill. Lando Norris has overtaken him in the standings — by just one point — and Max Verstappen is closing in fast. According to former world champion Damon Hill, the pressure is beginning to show.
Hill steps into Piastri’s shoes
The 1996 world champion analyzed the situation from the Australian’s perspective. “Let’s imagine I’m Oscar, okay?” Hill said on The Race podcast Stay on Track. “I’m thinking: this is
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going great, I’m ahead of the world champion, all I need to do is keep Lando behind me and I’ll be fine. It’s like a fishing line — you can let out a bit of slack, just don’t run out of reel before the championship is over.”
“He dropped the ball in Baku”
Before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Piastri still seemed perfectly in control. “He had the luxury of a points cushion,” Hill continued. “And then suddenly, he dropped the ball.” Hill referred to a remark from Piastri’s manager, Mark Webber: “I remember Mark once said that Oscar had never lost a corner. But then came Baku — he hit the wall twice. That was the turning point.”
According to Hill, something shifted mentally from that moment on. “Everything just fell apart, literally. The only explanation is that his mindset changed. He went from taking each race as it came to thinking too far ahead, and that’s rarely the right approach.”
Piastri stays calm under pressure
Hill believes Piastri’s mental strength will determine how the rest of his season unfolds. “When you treat each race as a separate challenge, whatever happens, happens. After Baku, Oscar admitted he might have pushed too hard. That’s not really his style — he’s always been in control.”
The British pundit also praised how the McLaren driver handles the media. “He’s open but measured, and he doesn’t get annoyed when asked tough questions,” said Hill. “He’s been asked things like: ‘Do you think you’re losing it?’ Imagine hearing that. Yet he remains composed, which shows a lot about his character.”
Can Piastri still fight for the title?
Still, Hill thinks that Baku marked a psychological turning point. “He’s still in the fight, but his lead is gone. Something happened mentally. The realization that you can become world champion can bring enormous pressure,” Hill explained.
He added that this kind of pressure is not uncommon for young drivers. “You’ve led the standings, you’ve never won a major title before, and it starts slipping away. That burden builds up in your mind, and I think that’s what happened with Oscar. He’s starting to feel it affect the way he drives.”
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
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