1996 F1 champion Damon Hill has offered an insight into Oscar Piastri’s difficult run of form of late.
The Australian lost his lead in the drivers’ championship last time out in Mexico City following a dominant drive to victory for team-mate Lando Norris.
Piastri obtained the top spot in the standings after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in April and held a lead as big as 34 points just a handful of rounds ago.
However, Piastri has been consistently outpaced by Norris over the last few races, starting from a disastrous event in Baku where Piastri crashed out on the first lap following a self-inflicted error.
Providing an explanation for Piastri’s Azerbaijan setback, Hill told the Stay on Track podcast: “I gleaned that from what he said, that he’s analysed it in retrospect, and he sort of said maybe he pushed too hard.
“It’s not in him to push beyond his limits. Up to now, he’s kept it all in check.”
Piastri now sits just one point behind Norris in the championship standings with four rounds remaining in the season.
Hill has suggested that as the season entered its final stages, Piastri became too wrapped up in the thought of getting his hands on the world championship trophy.
“In interviews, he’s open, but also, he doesn’t say too much and he doesn’t get riled by questions,” he said.
“There were some questions he’s been getting recently like ‘Do you think you’re losing it?’
“Can you imagine how you would feel if someone is saying that? And he seems to have coped with that very well, that pressure.
“But something happened. I think he’s tripped over this problem with the realisation that you could become world champion and you get that maybe a rush of blood to the head or that over-excitement.”