The Australian driver, in the two Brazilian weekends he’s contested in 2023 and 2024, has never managed to qualify or finish a race higher than eighth.

In 2023, he could do no better than tenth in qualifying and went on to finish the race 14th, hampered by a first-lap incident—but still a lap behind the rest despite the red flag.

In 2024, he qualified eighth, while his teammate claimed pole. The race didn’t go much better, as he finished in the same position he started, in a race heavily affected by rain.

Piastri shone more in the sprint, setting the fastest time last year just ahead of his teammate, only to finish second in the sprint race after a team-issued position swap.

In Mexico, Piastri qualified a full six and a half tenths off his teammate, who claimed pole and went on to confirm his superiority in the race, taking the win by the largest margin of the season.

The Australian’s race comeback, while gaining a few positions from his starting spot, stalled at fifth, unable to find a way past Oliver Bearman. With the points lost in Mexico, Piastri now finds himself one point adrift in the championship, having surrendered the lead after running at the top of the standings for nearly the entire season.

Jolyon Palmer has commented on the former championship leader’s recent performance struggles and the comparison with the British driver.