Piastri: If I worry, it won't help.

      After a disappointing weekend in Austin for McLaren and, above all, for Oscar Piastri, the situation in the championship has become even more intense, because the Australian driver now has another formidable rival — Max Verstappen. Of course the four-time champion has always been formidable, but right now he’s on the rise, showing excellent form and taking victory after victory.

      If Oscar keeps dropping points, his lead in the drivers’ standings, which was much more substantial at the end of the summer, could finally melt away. Piastri, however, insisted he will try not to let that happen.

      At an FIA press conference in Mexico he was asked to what extent the events at this stage of the season remind him of the times when he was fighting for wins in junior categories. In 2019 he won the Formula Renault Eurocup, where his main rival was Victor Martins; the following season he became F3 champion — then he beat Theo Pourchaire, also by the narrowest of margins — and a year later he finished ahead of Robert Shwartzman in the fight for the F2 title, but by a more comfortable margin.

      "Yes, there is some similarity," Oscar agreed. "I think that, competing in this championship, I feel more confident than I did back then, and there are other differences too. But I suppose you can really compare it to how I performed in Formula Renault — in a way the situation now even looks eerily similar.

      "However, I have proof that I know how to see things through despite difficulties — I did win those championships, and that's a positive point. Of course, it's nice to look back at those events. But I also understand that just because I managed to win in the past, that does not automatically mean it will be the same now.

      "But I did gain a certain experience back then that could be useful this year. The main thing is to try to show the maximum possible pace, to do qualifying as well as possible and to achieve the best possible results in the races. Naturally, it's not that simple, but at least we have a fairly clear plan."

      According to Piastri, he is not particularly worried that Verstappen is closing in: "It's not something I think about, although Max has been racing very consistently and confidently lately, no one denies that. But if I start worrying, it won't help.

      "I have to try to give everything, to extract everything the car is capable of, and to get the most effective work out of my team — only that can help me win the championship. Yes, Max is closing in, he is one of the real rivals, but ultimately it doesn't change my approach to racing."