Herbert: ‘Tiny pressure cracks’ showing in Piastri’s title armour

Oscar Piastri’s iron composure has been one of the Aussie’s defining traits this season – but former F1 driver Johnny Herbert believes the McLaren driver’s cool exterior is beginning to show “tiny pressure cracks” as the title fight with teammate Lando Norris tightens heading into the final stretch.

With six races to go, Piastri leads Norris by just 22 points ahead of next weekend’s United States Grand Prix.

The once serene McLaren garage now hums with tension, and Herbert says the psychological battle between the young pair could decide the championship more than outright speed.

Cracks in the Armour

Piastri’s lead looked far more comfortable earlier in the year, but recent weekends in Azerbaijan and Singapore – have chipped away at his advantage. And Herbert has noticed a subtle shift in the Australian’s demeanour.

“We’re seeing those little, tiny pressure cracks from Oscar from all his comments,” Herbert told BettingLounge. “The cool Oscar Piastri that everyone was talking about at the beginning of the season is not there.”

The former Grand Prix driver believes the mounting expectations of a title fight are starting to weigh on Piastri’s shoulders.

“The pressure’s building and when that pressure pot builds in a championship battle, it’s the one who has that stronger mentality to try and get rid of that negative Singapore result for Oscar but then have the positivity going into the next race,” Herbert explained.

He pointed to Norris’s consistency and recent pace as key factors intensifying that pressure.

“It wasn’t the perfect result for Lando, but he was ahead of Oscar,” the Briton added. “It’s come down to 22 points.

“So, he’s piling the pressure on Oscar, but he’s doing a great job as well. He’s showing his speed once again and they’re both very close anyway.”

As McLaren’s two young stars duel for supremacy, Herbert believes the title fight will test not just skill but steel.

“This is really where they all show their inner strengths and mental strengths as well,” he said.

McLaren’s Balancing Act

McLaren’s resurgence in the past few seasons has been remarkable – securing back-to-back Constructors’ Championships and giving its drivers a car capable of fighting at the very front.

But now, Herbert insists, it’s time for the team to let its racers decide the outcome on track.

“The key to this is McLaren letting them race because they won the Constructors’ for a second year running which was very impressive, now it’s letting their drivers go,” he said.

The battle already flared in Singapore, where Piastri lost position to Norris at the start despite qualifying ahead.

The two made light contact at Turn 3, with the Australian later expressing frustration over what he felt was excessive aggression from his teammate. The stewards took no action, and McLaren opted not to issue team orders – a decision Herbert fully supports.

“I don’t think there was anything wrong with what Lando did,” he said.

“Yes, there was a little bit of rubbing each other, but that’s racing. And I think Oscar is very aware that’s racing because in Monza when they were told to switch, I think he said, ‘That’s not racing.’

“And he was absolutely right on that one, because that’s how racing happens sometimes. Sometimes you have those bad pit stops and that’s just part and parcel of it.”

The question now isn’t just whether Piastri can hold off his teammate, but whether he can maintain the composure that made his rise to the top seem effortless. As Herbert put it, even the smallest “pressure cracks” can turn a dominant campaign into a fight for survival.

For fans, that’s exactly the kind of drama they’ve been waiting for.

Read also: Steiner ridicules ‘papaya rules’ – urges McLaren to back Piastri

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