Jacques Villeneuve: Oscar Piastri "must be feeling terrible" after 2025 title slipped away
1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Oscar Piastri "must be feeling terrible" after letting the 2025 drivers' title slip from his grasp, having led the standings mid-season before a podium drought cost him the crown to teammate Lando Norris.
Jacques Villeneuve has shared some insight into how Oscar Piastri could be feeling after missing out on the championship title despite leading the drivers' standings earlier in the season.
Why it matters:
The psychological impact of losing a championship lead is a defining moment in a driver's career. For Piastri, who had a nine-point advantage heading into the summer break, the late-season collapse represents a significant missed opportunity and a harsh lesson in the relentless pressure of a title fight.
The details:
- Piastri led the standings after the summer break, holding a nine-point advantage over teammate Lando Norris.
- His campaign faltered with a six-race podium drought following wins in the Netherlands and a podium in Italy.
- A late surge with two second-place finishes in Qatar and Abu Dhabi was insufficient to reclaim the title, leaving him third in the final standings behind champion Norris and Max Verstappen.
- Villeneuve, the 1997 champion, empathized with the situation, stating Piastri "must be feeling terrible" because he "had the championship in hand" and by the time he realized it was slipping away, "it was too late to react."
Between the lines:
Villeneuve addressed potential narratives of unfair team treatment, a common speculation in intra-team battles. He dismissed the idea that McLaren favored one driver over the other, emphasizing that the team's "papaya rules"—allowing free racing with a no-crash clause—were applied evenly.
- "It's a big team, they didn't make one car slower. There was no work done that way," Villeneuve clarified.
- He suggested that while people in Piastri's circle might whisper about a lack of team support, believing it would be "far-fetched," as McLaren ultimately wanted a championship with either driver.
What's next:
How Piastri processes this setback will be critical for his 2026 campaign. The experience, while painful, provides invaluable data on managing a season-long championship fight. His response—whether it fuels a more consistent and determined title challenge or leads to doubt—will define his trajectory as McLaren continues to provide a championship-capable car.