Piastri “Needs to Find Inner Strength” Says Webber as Championship Gap Widens
Mark Webber believes his protégé Oscar Piastri can bounce back from a challenging streak that’s seen him fall 24 points behind McLaren teammate Lando Norris in the championship battle.
“We will get Oscar back on track. I don’t think he lacks motivation, to put it that way,” Webber told Channel 4.
The young Australian’s form has taken a noticeable dip since F1 returned from summer break in late August. While he managed a win at the Dutch Grand Prix, Piastri has struggled to match Norris, who just claimed a dominant victory in Mexico to take the championship lead.
“Oscar has had a tough time, but now it’s about strength of character,” Webber explained. “It’s about activating the deep inner drive you need to come back. He now needs to find the strength to fight back.”
Brazil proved particularly difficult for Piastri.
In the sprint race, he lost control after hitting standing water on the inside kerb at Turn 3, crashing out completely.
Things didn’t get much better in Sunday’s Grand Prix. A Turn 1 collision with Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc earned him a 10-second penalty and knocked Leclerc out of the race entirely.
The incident also added more penalty points to Piastri’s license. He now has 6 points, placing him among the five most penalized drivers on the grid.
While Norris went on to win the race, Piastri could only manage fifth place, unable to pass George Russell in the closing stages as Max Verstappen charged through to claim third.
## Webber confident in Piastri’s potential
Despite these setbacks, Webber remains impressed by Piastri’s overall trajectory in F1.
“It’s incredible in itself that he’s fighting for a world championship title so early in his career,” Webber said. “To be in contention for the title in only his third year is rare in Formula 1. There aren’t many who have achieved that so early in their careers; Lewis Hamilton is one of them.”
Hamilton famously battled Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen as a rookie, missing out on the title by just a single point before claiming the championship in his second season.
“When I was fighting for the title, I was already a veteran. I was at the end of my career; Oscar is just starting out,” Webber added.
F1 now heads to Las Vegas in two weeks’ time. The question is whether Piastri can use this break to reset mentally and rediscover the form that made him such a threat earlier in the season.
Can he find what he needs to strike back against Norris in the final three races?
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