Never mind social media\u2019s conspiracies, a question of whether \u201cMcLaren is biased against Oscar Piastri\u201d has been raised in an Australian parliamentary hearing.<\/p>\n
McLaren\u2019s stranglehold on the Drivers\u2019 Championship evaporated in Qatar on Sunday when Max Verstappen clinched the win to close the gap to Lando Norris in the standings to just 12 points. He also overhauled Piastri for second.<\/p>\n
\u2018So do you think McLaren is biased against Oscar Piastri?\u2019<\/p>\n
It a startling turnaround in form, Piastri<\/a> led the championship by 70 points ahead of Norris and 104 up on Verstappen after the Dutch Grand Prix. But now, eight races later and with only remaining in the season, he\u2019s dropped to third.<\/p>\n The 24-year-old went into the Qatar weekend tied with Verstappen on 366 points, 24 down on Norris, but a strategy blunder from McLaren when it didn\u2019t pit the drivers behind a Safety Car on lap 7 threw not only the 1-2 in the standings into doubt, but even the title.<\/p>\n But while social media\u2019s reaction was expected, that Piastri\u2019s woes reached the halls of Australian politics was not.<\/p>\n Speaking during at\u00a0Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee hearing, Senator Matt Canavan asked the Committee for its opinion on McLaren\u2019s tactics and its treatment of Piastri.<\/p>\n F1 2025: The season\u2019s winners and losers<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\u00a0The results of the F1 2025 championship <\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\u00a0The updated Drivers\u2019 and Constructors\u2019 Championship standings<\/a><\/p>\n Turning to department secretary Jim Betts, Canavan said<\/a>: \u201cIt\u2019s been a bit of a frustrating night for some Australians.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know who to ask this to, but you deal with transport and cars. So do you think McLaren is biased against Oscar Piastri and costing him the World Championship?\u201d<\/p>\n Betts: \u201cYou\u2019re asking me an opinion?\u201d<\/p>\n Putting the question to Regional Affairs Assistant Minister Anthony Chisholm, Chisholm replied: \u201cI definitely think he\u2019s copped some raw decisions this year.<\/p>\n \u201cAs someone with a daughter who has become obsessed with F1, she will be very upset when she gets up this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n McLaren has vowed to hold a \u201cvery thorough\u201d investigation over its Qatar strategy that could yet be what costs the Woking team the 1-2 in the Drivers\u2019 standings, perhaps even the World title.<\/p>\n