Steiner Backs Piastri to Bounce Back from Title Defeat

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes Oscar Piastri possesses the talent to recover from his 2025 championship disappointment and win a Formula 1 title, emphasizing the Australian driver simply needs "the right car at the right time."

Why it matters:

Piastri's near-miss, after leading the standings for much of the season, was a harsh introduction to the unique pressures of a title fight. Steiner's public vote of confidence from an experienced figure in the paddock highlights that Piastri's performance is viewed not as a failure of talent, but as a critical learning experience for a driver still early in his F1 career.

The details:

• Steiner expressed his belief on the Red Flags podcast, stating, "He needs to be in the right car at the right time, but from a talent point of view, he can do it. I don't doubt it."
• He contextualized Piastri's season, noting, "If he has the same scenario he had this year, I think he will win it next time, because we should never forget it was only his second (actually third) season in Formula 1. He did very well."
• The 2025 season represented a dramatic step forward for Piastri, who transformed from being consistently outperformed by teammate Lando Norris the previous year into a genuine championship contender for two-thirds of the campaign.
• His eventual third-place finish, behind even Max Verstappen, served as a brutal lesson in sustaining peak performance under the intense pressure of a title fight—a challenge distinct from any faced in the junior categories.

Looking ahead:

The season, while ending in disappointment, solidified Piastri's status as a top-tier driver. The core task for him and McLaren will be to analyze the late-season stumble, build on the immense progress made, and ensure they are in a position to challenge again. As Steiner implied, sustained success in F1 requires the confluence of driver talent, team performance, and reliability—all coming together at the pivotal moment.