Jenson Button names “biggest issue” for Oscar Piastri in F1 title race

2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button has warned Oscar Piastri that his poor form has led him to “spiral” in this year’s title race.

Ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, Piastri is 24 points behind McLaren teammate Lando Norris.

Three consecutive fifth-place finishes have put Piastri on the backfoot with three rounds to go.

After the Dutch Grand Prix, Piastri was 34 points clear of Norris and clearly in the driving seat.

However, since Zandvoort, Piastri has finished on the podium just once.

He crashed out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after jumping the start, but more worryingly, has struggled for pace relative to Norris in recent rounds.

Many expected it would be Norris, not Piastri, to buckle under the pressure in the title race.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ F1 Show, Button admitted he was surprised Piastri was feeling the weight of the pressure in the title battle.

“It’s funny because everyone was saying, including myself, that probably Oscar is the one who is going to deal with the pressure a little bit better, but it kind of feels like it’s turned around,” Button said.

“I’m sure there are lots of things that we always go, well, it’s the pressure, that’s why he’s not performing.

“It could be many other things, but from firsthand, you know, I know how that feels in a championship. It is tough.”

Button’s concern for Piastri

Piastri’s lack of pace relative to Norris across the last three rounds has come as a surprise.

The Australian was a close match for Norris up until the United States GP.

The last three races have mirrored last year, where Norris consistently had a pace advantage over his teammate.

Button thinks that Piastri’s lack of pace could lead him down a “rabbit hole” as he tries to find solutions.

“It’s a tough one, and we all have to deal with it in a different way,” Button added.

“For me, it was having great people around me that could support and also just let me know I haven’t forgotten how to drive a racing car.

“But it just shows you that sport in general is such a mental game. All these drivers are super talented, have natural ability, and they work really, really hard.

“But then, when it comes down to it, that pressure on your shoulders changes everything. You start questioning yourself, and you tighten up under pressure; it just spirals.

“He obviously needs to look at where the car is. You can go down a rabbit hole, and that’s the biggest issue. Well, the car’s working for him [Norris], I need to find a setup that works for me.

“And sometimes that can be the worst thing because you don’t have much testing and you try so many different things, and you can get quite lost with it.”