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Horner: Piastri's 2025 F1 struggles fuel 2026 title bid
4 Feb
Summary
- Christian Horner believes Oscar Piastri's tough 2025 season will motivate him.
- Piastri's relative inexperience is seen by Horner as a positive for future growth.
- Martin Brundle notes Piastri must improve on low-grip tracks for a title challenge.
Christian Horner, formerly of Red Bull, has shared his perspective on Oscar Piastri's prospects for the 2026 Formula 1 season. Piastri experienced a significant setback in the latter half of the 2025 season, losing a substantial points lead he held after a win at Zandvoort. This ultimately allowed his teammate Lando Norris to secure the championship, with Max Verstappen also finishing ahead of Piastri.
Horner suggests that Piastri's 13-point deficit in 2025 will fuel his determination in 2026. He emphasized that Piastri, who was still relatively inexperienced with only a couple of seasons in F1, has learned valuable lessons from the disappointment. Horner considers this experience, though painful, to be a crucial part of his development.
While Piastri has shown great promise, Martin Brundle has identified areas for improvement. Brundle noted that Piastri must enhance his performance on low-grip circuits, where he faltered in 2025, if he aims to be a genuine title contender. McLaren has achieved recent constructors' championship success, but faces increasing competition.
