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Oscar Piastri declared that he wouldn't be pushing McLaren harder for short-term success as he is more focused on the team's future and the 2026 season. While he currently leads the World Championship, he is not hoping to divert the team's resources into this season.
The 24-year-old Australian driver has been extremely consistent this season. He has managed to clinch seven race wins so far, and as mentioned, leads the Drivers' Championship. His teammate, Lando Norris, is the only other contender for the rival, given McLaren's dominance this season.
While both drivers are expected to get much closer by the end of the season, Piastri is not looking forward to pushing the team too hard to win the championship this year. Speaking to the media, he claimed that he wouldn't consider that since he is also focused on the team's long-term goals, keeping in mind the 2026 regulations.
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"Not at the cost of future success. Definitely not," Oscar Piastri said (via BBC Sport). "We don't want the chance of success just for this year. There's a big regulation change next year. We don't know how competitive we're going to be, and we don't know how competitive anyone's going to be."
He added:
"Ultimately, we want the best chance at winning championships for as long as we're Formula 1 drivers, and we're both at McLaren for a very long time."
While both Norris and Piastri have been quite competitive this season, the latter has been much more consistent, which has given him the edge in the championship lead. However, his advantage was narrowed in Monza after a controversial order from the team.
Oscar Piastri justifies his swap with Lando Norris in Monza
During the 2025 F1 Italian GP, Lando Norris suffered a slow pit stop in the final few laps, which cost him the P2 position as his teammate, who had just pitted a lap earlier, gained another place on the grid.
Norris was originally asked to pit first; however, he suggested that the other car should be pitted first. The team obeyed, promising him no undercut, and Piastri had a perfect pit stop. He was told that he would be free to fight his teammate after he came out of the pit; however, something strange happened.
As Norris lost his position because of the slow stop, the team asked Piastri to give the P2 back to Norris, and he did so. The final classification saw Max Verstappen win the race, with Lando Norris in P2, and Oscar Piastri in P3.
Speaking to the media after the race, the Australian justified the team's decision. He claimed that Norris deserved to finish ahead since he had been faster throughout the race and had also qualified ahead of him.
"There were clearly valid reasons for swapping back," F1 quoted Oscar Piastri. "Lando qualified ahead and was ahead for the whole race, so I get that. There’s just some things we need to discuss."
As mentioned, Piastri still leads the championship. Both drivers are expected to have an intense battle for their first championships as only eight more races remain in the 2025 F1 season.
