Ex-driver baffled by Piastri’s title slump: ‘Like his cousin was driving'

19:00, 12 Dec

Updated: 21:56, 12 Dec

bySamson Ero

Romain Grosjean remains baffled by Oscar Piastri’s dip in form in his assessment of the Australian driver’s failed championship challenge.

“There were four or five races where I felt it was like his cousin was driving.”

- Romain Grosjean

The former Haas F1 driver, speaking via Formula 1 about the McLaren driver’s season, stated that he struggles to comprehend what went wrong with Piastri, particularly after the race in Monza.

“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 began.

The 39-year-old continued, noting that it wasn’t until the Qatar Grand Prix that Piastri’s brilliance resurfaced.

Oscar Piastri at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Photo: Race Pictures

“Then came Qatar, and we saw Oscar again as the fastest man on track, taking pole position. 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,” he added.

Grosjean also said he believes Piastri will be disappointed at how he squandered his championship lead.

“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.

The nine-time podium finisher concluded that if Piastri can repeat his strong performances and address his weaker races, he could become a world champion.

“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,” he concluded.

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Piastri, who had led the drivers’ championship standings for much of the 2025 season, witnessed his 34-point advantage over teammate Lando Norris wiped out after a streak of underwhelming results. The 24-year-old failed to record any race victory in the final nine races of the campaign, which translated to him falling down to third place in the drivers’ standings.