Who slept worst last night: Oscar Piastri

Dear readers, I know that Oscar Piastri already had trouble sleeping after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. But, just as my colleague Christian Nimmervoll thought this after Baku, I feel the same way now after Singapore: Piastri will have had another very restless night. His cautious, reserved demeanour in the media rounds doesn’t change that. 

No question: something is brewing inside Piastri. 

On the one hand, there was the situation with Lando Norris right after the start, which from his perspective was not just unfortunate – but unfair. 

Of course, one can argue about that view. But what seems undeniable to me is that Piastri must be feeling increasingly fooled. Because it always looks like he’s the one who has to take the hit – and Norris is the one who benefits. See Monza. 

And even though team boss Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella have been repeating like a mantra for months that both McLaren drivers have equal opportunities and that fairness is paramount, doubts inevitably creep in during such moments. 

Piastri, of course, knows all the internal agreements and will be able to correctly assess situations like those in Monza or Singapore. But that doesn’t erase the “Why always me?” impression. With every new case, his frustration and concern grow that maybe, just maybe, Norris really is being favoured. 

The gap is shrinking 

On the other hand, there’s Piastri’s dwindling lead in the drivers’ standings: with his victory in Zandvoort and Norris’ retirement, he had built up a cushion of 34 points – his largest lead so far. 

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

But that lead is crumbling, week by week: in Monza it shrank by three points, in Baku by six, in Singapore by another three – and in two of those three races, controversial incidents from Piastri’s perspective played a decisive role. That’s enough to make anyone think twice. 

Because Norris is closing in, step by step: if the current points trend since Monza continues, Piastri will lose this championship to Norris – by two points. 

And then there’s Max Verstappen, still lurking as an invisible threat: 10 points gained in Monza, 25 in Baku, six in Singapore – Piastri’s recent numbers against him are also clearly negative. 

How will Piastri respond? 

This won't leave Piastri unaffected – how could it? 

And if the current trend in the championship standings doesn’t already cost him sleep, then surely the question of how he should now approach his intra-team battle with Norris does. 

Especially after Singapore, I expect some kind of reaction from Piastri: a statement on the racetrack, either through an outstanding performance behind the wheel or through uncompromising wheel-to-wheel behaviour against Norris. Because what Piastri desperately needs right now is a turning point – also for his own self-confidence. 

And let’s be honest: who could sleep soundly in this situation, on the verge of perhaps the greatest success of their career? I certainly couldn’t. And I don’t think Piastri can, either. 

Yours, Stefan Ehlen