F1 Championship: Piastri's Lead Slashed to 40 Points as Verstappen Gains Momentum
F1 championship update: Oscar Piastri's lead over Max Verstappen slashed to 40 points after the US Grand Prix. Can Piastri hold on to his lead?
“I think it is very important wherever you go to get qualifying right, and today I think race pace could...”
Oscar Piastri, the current leader of the Formula 1 drivers' championship, has cautioned against McLaren prioritizing one driver over the other, emphasizing the closeness of the championship battle. After finishing fifth in the United States Grand Prix, Piastri acknowledged his recent struggles but believes it's too early for the team to pick a favorite.
Piastri holds a slim 14-point lead over teammate Lando Norris, with Max Verstappen trailing 40 points behind. The championship is far from won, and Piastri wants McLaren to maintain its “papaya rules” system, where both drivers receive equal support. “We're still so incredibly tight, and we've both said we want an opportunity to try and fight for the championship because we deserve it,” Piastri said. With five rounds and two sprint races remaining, the championship remains wide open.
“I think it is very important wherever you go to get qualifying right, and today I think race pace could have saved you – but I didn’t have that either,” he said.
“So obviously, it's something I want to work on. Apart from Baku, this has been the first weekend where I have felt it has been a real letdown.
“It's been sub-par before, but I felt it was pretty good, so I've obviously got some things to try and understand from this weekend. It was clearly not all about qualifying.
“It was really difficult to get into a rhythm in any way.”
Piastri expressed his opposition to McLaren abandoning their "papaya rules” system, which supports both drivers equally, in favor of backing one driver. “I don't know,” he said, “I don't think so. We're still so incredibly tight, and we've both said we want an opportunity to try and fight for the championship because we deserve it. I think it's far too close to start picking one over the other.” Currently, Piastri leads the drivers' standings with 346 points, narrowly ahead of teammate Lando Norris with 332 points, while Max Verstappen trails 40 points behind Piastri.
“I don't think so. We are so incredibly tight, and we both said we want an opportunity to try and fight for the championship because we deserve it.
“I think it is far too close to start picking one or the other.”
Not the weekend Osc had hoped for, but we’ll be straight back to it next week 💪#McLaren | #USGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/lMynLb7qNp
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 19, 2025
Oscar Piastri's Formula 1 championship lead has dramatically shrunk to just 40 points over Max Verstappen, after the Red Bull driver dominated the United States Grand Prix. Piastri, who held a massive 104-point lead over Verstappen in August, now faces intense pressure from the Dutch driver, who has won three of the last four races.
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