Oscar Piastri endured a brutal weekend at the Mexico Grand Prix, watching his championship ambitions unravel in real time as teammate Lando Norris delivered one of the most commanding performances of the season. Piastri, who entered the weekend as McLaren’s title hope, was left reeling after being soundly defeated across every session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. His complaints about a power unit issue did little to mask the gulf in pace — one that saw Norris soar to pole position, McLaren’s first in Mexico since 1990, while Piastri languished in eighth, over six-tenths adrift.
The qualifying defeat was more than just a poor showing — it was a psychological blow. As Norris celebrated his lap that stunned the paddock, Piastri was left searching for answers amid confusion and frustration. His body language spoke volumes when he refused to respond to his engineer’s post-session message. That silence echoed across the team garage, a reflection of a driver grappling not just with a car that wouldn’t comply, but a teammate who seems to have found another gear entirely.
McLaren principal Andrea Stella was unusually candid, admitting that Piastri has been consistently losing time to Norris on circuits where tyre management and precision are paramount. The issue, Stella revealed, stems from Piastri’s struggles in controlling mid-corner slides — a flaw that has magnified across recent tracks. Analysts, including Jacques Villeneuve, were stunned by Piastri’s subdued approach, suggesting that instead of pushing harder to close the gap, the young Australian appeared resigned to his deficit, a move many deemed uncharacteristic for a driver of his ambition.
Norris, meanwhile, stands on the brink of rewriting McLaren’s championship story. With his dominance in Mexico, he has all but erased the 14-point gap separating him from Piastri in the standings, proving that consistency and composure can outshine raw speed under pressure. His reaction to the pole — genuine disbelief — underscored how special his lap had been. Even the analysts agreed it was the most dominant version of Norris they had ever witnessed, a near-perfect blend of control, confidence, and timing.
For Piastri, the road ahead is steep and introspective. The 24-year-old acknowledged the mystery behind his lack of pace, admitting that he and his team must “do some digging” to uncover the root of his struggles. Yet the optics are harsh: a silent radio, a defeated demeanor, and a teammate turned tormentor. As the Formula 1 season barrels toward its conclusion, Piastri’s quest for redemption will demand more than mechanical fixes — it will require a mental reset strong enough to reignite the fire that once made him McLaren’s prodigy-in-waiting.
