Piastri is 'confident' he can secure the 2025 championship.

      "I’m finally in the place I want to be."

      Oscar Piastri expresses that he is "certain" he can achieve the title of world champion this year. While that would be a remarkable achievement given that he trails both his teammate and championship leader Lando Norris, as well as Max Verstappen, in the drivers' standings, he remains optimistic. Verstappen, despite a strong performance at Suzuka, is apprehensive that the Bahrain race this weekend may not favor his Red Bull, and Dr. Helmut Marko is criticizing a persisting issue with the simulator. "Whenever the simulator forecasts impressive laptimes for us, the results on the track tend to be the opposite," the team advisor shared with Auto Motor und Sport. "I advised Max to trust his experience over the simulator’s predictions."

      Undoubtedly, the quickest and most reliable car on the grid is the McLaren. When posed a question about Verstappen's chances of clinching a fifth consecutive world championship in 2025, McLaren's chief Andrea Stella remarked: "Consistently competing in over 24 races a season is quite difficult without having the best car. The key factor for winning both the drivers' and constructors' championships is indeed having the best vehicle," he stated, as reported by formel1.de.

      Piastri, aged 24, had a slight advantage over teammate Norris during the Japanese Grand Prix but the team declined his request to overtake and challenge Verstappen. Nevertheless, Piastri conveyed to Sport Bild: "I have complete confidence in my ability to become world champion." He is more concerned about the competition from his teammate than from Verstappen. "Lando is my primary rival," Piastri noted. "On one hand, as the current championship leader, he has the best opportunity to secure the title. On the other hand, our car is the finest in Formula 1, and I have that advantage as well."

      "Naturally, we cannot discount Max," he added. "He is a four-time world champion and claimed the title last year even without the top car." However, some foresee potential internal conflicts at McLaren as the season unfolds. Piastri elaborated: "Lando and I share a friendly rapport, although we are aware that ultimately we will be competing against each other. I’m now in my third season and feel like I’m finally where I want to be."