McLaren hit reset as Piastri admits fault before Mexico City Grand Prix

Written by Kavi Khandelwal

Current Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri arrived at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix with immense pressure from his rivals as well as his team after a disastrous race weekend in Austin.

Credit: Formula One

The driver crashed, along with his teammate at the sprint, and race day saw him finish on P5 after qualifying P6.

During the pre-weekend press conference, the Australian driver addressed the Lap 1, Turn 1 incident where he collided with his teammate, Lando Norris, and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso. This forced a costly double Did Not Finish (DNF) for the team and a loss of data for the race.

Taking ownership of the error, Piastri admitted: "We go through every weekend, and there is a degree of responsibility from my side in the Sprint".

His follow-up comment, however, was the most telling: "We are starting this weekend with a clean slate on both sides." This statement is particularly significant given the team's recent internal tensions.

After the Singapore Grand Prix, Norris himself faced "repercussions" from McLaren management merely for tapping Piastri' wheel in what the team deemed "not clean racing". Now, Piastri' far more severe error has ironically wiped the slate clean for Norris, effectively resetting the internal score as the championship battle enters its final stages.

With the rivalry reset, the team’s primary directive has been brutally reinforced. Piastri was direct when asked about the team’s rules of engagement: "It is clear to us what the rules are - don't crash into each other".

He dismissed the idea that this adds new pressure, noting: "Regardless of what scenario you are in, that is what is expected as team mates. So it doesn't add any extra pressure to the situation".

Credit: Formula One

While Piastri' (346 points) and Norris' (332) navigate their internal truce, a familiar threat has re-emerged. Red Bull's Max Verstappen (306 points) has stormed back into contention by winning three of the last four Grands Prix in Baku, Austin and Italy.

For much of the year, the title fight was presumed to be an all-McLaren affair. "I think probably everyone did," Piastri joked when asked if he believed the championship was just between himself and Norris. He confessed that Verstappen' recent performance has been "a bit of a surprise". "It has been a bit of a surprise," he added. "He has come into the fight quicker than I expected".

According to Piastri, Verstappen' comeback is a result of the two top teams achieving parity. The era of specific "McLaren tracks" or "Red Bull tracks" is over. "It is difficult to predict," he said. "The two teams seem to have converged now to have ironed out their weaknesses and as such, are evenly matched."

With the cars on a level playing field, Piastri believes the championship will be decided on execution. "As such, the Australian thinks it will come down to who can set their car up the best each weekend, more than who suits which track." This puts even more scrutiny on driver performance, especially at the start.

Despite his race-ending error in the last sprint, Piastri insisted he won't become overly cautious: "You have to trust your instincts [at the start] - sometimes the outside works, the inside, the middle line works".

Ultimately, as Piastri faces pressure from his teammate, his own mistakes and a charging three-time world champion, his strategy is to look inward, and he stated: "The thing that is going to help me win this Championship is getting the best out of myself, the team around me and the car. Focusing on anyone else doesn't help".