After starting the season so brightly, Oscar Piastri has watched the Formula One world title slowly slip further away from him in recent rounds.
The Australian, contesting just his third full season in F1, found himself on the top step of the podium in four of the first six races, later adding wins in Miami, Belgium and Hungary.
As we head to the final grand prix of the season in Abu Dhabi, though, he has not tasted winners’ champagne since finishing first at Zandvoort in August.
Since then, he has watched his team-mate Lando Norris take top spot in the championship, while he has also been pipped by the resurgent Max Verstappen.
Now trailing championship leader Norris by 16 points, Piastri is still able to win the championship on the final day, but he has a mountain to climb.
“I obviously need a lot of things to go in my direction,” he admitted, previewing the final round of the season after finishing second at its penultimate race in Qatar.
“I’ll just try and be as fast as I can and put myself in the best position possible and see what happens.”
How can Oscar Piastri win F1 title?
Piastri’s odds of clinching a first-ever drivers’ championship in Abu Dhabi are paper thin - he needs a lot of cards to fall in his favour.
His fate is in his own hands, to a certain extent. To stand a chance of nicking top spot, he must finish the grand prix either first or second.
Piastri winning the race would immediately count Verstappen out of the running, but the Australian would then need his team-mate Norris to finish sixth or worse to better his points tally.
And he would require an even greater implosion from Norris should he finish second. Piastri would need Norris to cross the line no higher than 10th, and Verstappen no higher than fourth, if he is to be crowned champion in that scenario.
F1 standings ahead of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Driver |
Team |
Points |
|
1 |
Lando Norris |
McLaren |
408 |
2 |
Max Verstappen |
Red Bull |
396 |
3 |
Oscar Piastri |
McLaren |
392 |
