Grosjean puzzled by Piastri’s mid-season slump: “Like his cousin was driving”

Former F1 driver Romain Grosjean can’t figure out what happened to Oscar Piastri during the crucial stretch of the season that cost him a championship.

“Oscar Piastri, the one I can’t quite wrap my head around this year, was so strong up to the summer. Then, post-Monza, there were four or five races where I felt it was like his cousin was driving,” Grosjean said.

The young Australian started the season brilliantly, building a 34-point lead by summer break. Then something changed.

It wasn’t until the Qatar Grand Prix that the real Piastri seemed to return.

“Then came Qatar, and we saw Oscar again as the fastest man on track, taking pole position,” Grosjean explained. “Of course, they didn’t win the race, but that really didn’t matter that weekend. It felt like Oscar was back, and I think he was strong in Abu Dhabi, but by that point, he had lost too much ground.”

Piastri’s championship dreams evaporated during that mid-season slump. He failed to win any of the final nine races, watching his comfortable lead turn into a 10-point deficit to teammate Lando Norris.

Grosjean thinks the 24-year-old will be kicking himself about the missed opportunity.

“I don’t know Oscar very well. I really like him as a person and as a driver. I guess that he’s pretty disappointed with the season. When you have a 34-point buffer at the summer break, and you end up 10 points or a bit more behind,” he said.

Despite the disappointment, Grosjean sees a bright future ahead.

“It’s not what you aim for, but he will probably learn a lot. He’s still a very young driver with very few seasons in Formula 1. He’s shown a lot of potential and many great things. But in those four or five races, he was just not where he wanted to be.”

“If he repeats what he did well and sorts out those issues or races, he will definitely be a world champion one day,” Grosjean concluded.

Steiner blames Piastri for championship miss

Former Haas team boss Gunther Steiner didn’t mince words when discussing Piastri’s season collapse.

The outspoken 60-year-old pointed the finger directly at the Australian, saying he’s solely to blame for his teammate Norris claiming the drivers’ crown.

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