Photo: Race Pictures

Herbert: Piastri 'can't be ruled out' despite dip in current form

09:46, 29 Oct

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byKada Sarkozi

Johnny Herbert argues against Oscar Piastri changing his approach during the final rounds of the 2025 season.

"You’re never going to rule out Oscar."

- Johnny Herbert

After finishing only fifth in Mexico City, the Australian driver now trails Lando Norris by a single point in the drivers' standings. Max Verstappen also got closer to Piastri, as the Dutchman is now 35 points behind him.

As a result, for the first time since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the Australian will not be in the lead.

Position	Drivers	Points
P1	Lando Norris	357
P2	Oscar Piastri	356
P3	Max Verstappen	321

According to former F1 driver and steward Herbert, Piastri should not change his approach, he explained to a gambling site.

He said: "The chaser, it’s always less pressure. And that is always something. But they’re so, so close.

"No, he doesn’t change anything, because has he lost what he had at the beginning of the season? Absolutely not. Has every great Formula 1 driver won every single race of a Formula 1 season? No. Because it doesn’t work like that.

“But you’ve just got to be able to package everything that’s around you within that bubble of McLaren and utilise it and be ready for when it clicks. And it just hasn’t quite for him at the present time.”

Piastri driving the MCL39 in Mexico - Photo: Race Pictures

Herbert can't rule Piastri out

According to the Briton, Piastri needs to find the 'missing piece of the puzzle' to perform again, the same way Norris and Verstappen had great stints over the current campaign.

"When you’re not quite feeling it, it doesn’t happen. And it doesn’t even happen for someone like Max either. Like it didn’t in Mexico.

“But then when that confidence is there in the car, they can actually, with the pressure that’s there, deal with it at the same time."

Herbert believes there will continue to be momentum swings this season, and there is no need for Piastri to overthink the weekends.

He continued: "You just do your race and your weekend and then hopefully at the end of it, you’ll be in a much stronger position and you’ll probably have a nice pleasant surprise and smile on your face when you have a better race weekend.

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"So I don’t think there’s anything particular that you do try and change as a driver."

Herbert then concluded with pointing out the 'useful tool' the Australian has: “If we can’t read him, then his teammates aren’t going to be able to read him either. And that’s a powerful thing to have.”

Four Grands Prix and two Sprints are yet to be contested in the 2025. The season continues with the Sao Paulo Grand Prix next, where a maximum of 33 points will be up for grabs for the championship contenders.