Villeneuve urges Piastri to return as 'completely new man' after 2025 title loss
1997 F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve says Oscar Piastri must return from the winter break as a 'completely new man' after the mental blow of losing the 2025 drivers' title from a leading position. He argues Piastri's challenge is to digest the tough experience and start 2026 with a fresh slate, free from any hangover of his dramatic championship loss.
Jacques Villeneuve believes Oscar Piastri must return to Formula 1 after the winter break as a "completely new man" to overcome the disappointment of losing the 2025 drivers' championship. The 1997 world champion argues the mental toll of squandering a significant points lead will be toughest on the McLaren driver, who must now digest the experience and start fresh.
Why it matters:
Piastri's 2025 season represents a significant 'what if' moment. Leading the championship for much of the year only to finish third, behind even Max Verstappen, poses a major psychological test. How he processes this setback will be crucial for his development into a consistent title contender and could define his trajectory within the McLaren team alongside the now-champion Lando Norris.
The details:
- Piastri led the championship for a large portion of the 2025 season, holding a 34-point advantage over Norris after the Dutch Grand Prix, with Verstappen 70 points further back.
- His challenge unraveled over the final nine rounds, marked by a loss of form that included a messy Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend and underwhelming performances in Austin, Mexico City, and São Paulo.
- This culminated in a seven-race podium drought during the critical run-in, allowing both Verstappen and Norris to overtake him in the standings. He ultimately finished 13 points behind Norris.
- Villeneuve, speaking to PokerScout, pinpointed mental toughness as the key lesson. He stated the environment, while appearing "nice and chummy," is a "tough world," and the nature of Piastri's loss—having controlled the championship—makes it particularly difficult to digest.
The big picture:
Villeneuve contrasts Piastri's situation with Verstappen's, suggesting it's "tougher for him than for Max, for example, who never expected to win it anyway." The central challenge for Piastri is to avoid carrying any "lingering title-loss hangover" into 2026. His ability to reset mentally will be under scrutiny, as a failure to do so could see him fall further behind Norris, who now has the momentum and confidence of a title win.
What's next:
The offseason becomes a critical period of reflection and reset for Piastri. Villeneuve's clear instruction is for him to "digest this winter" and arrive at pre-season testing "forgetting completely about this season." A successful mental reset, starting "from zero, and fresh," will be the first major test of his 2026 campaign and his capacity to mount another championship challenge.