McLaren driver Oscar Piastri says his best moments of the F1 2025 season \u201creally proved to myself the things that I\u2019m capable of\u201d in Formula 1.<\/p>\n
It comes after Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle warned that Piastri will \u201ccome back with a vengeance\u201d in F1 2026 after a \u201cpainful\u201d end to last year.<\/p>\n
Martin Brundle: Oscar Piastri will \u2018come back with a vengeance\u2019 in F1 2026<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Despite being in just his third season of F1, Piastri impressed in his first experience of an F1 title fight last season.<\/p>\n The Melbourne-born driver equalled teammate Lando Norris\u2019s tally of seven race wins across the season with Piastri holding a 34-point lead in the championship at one stage.<\/p>\n However, a patchy end to the year saw Piastri slip to third in the final standings as Norris secured his first world championship and the first for a McLaren driver since 2008.<\/p>\n Analysis: What we learned from the first F1 2026 pre-season test in Barcelona<\/p>\n Shakedown conclusions: Mercedes back in the light, Red Bull finds peace, key Newey question<\/a><\/p>\n Winners and losers from the Barcelona testing shakedown (Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya)<\/a><\/p>\n Formula 1\u2019s regulations have been overhauled for 2026 with the sport introducing 50 per cent electrification, fully sustainable fuels and active aerodynamics.<\/p>\n The McLaren MCL40 made its on-track debut earlier this week in a collective shakedown in Barcelona, with Norris and Piastri completing 291 laps between them<\/a>, as per verified, unofficial figures.<\/p>\n Piastri is entering the new season with confidence having offered a good indication of his capabilities in 2025.<\/p>\n He told Formula 1: \u201cI\u2019m excited.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had a good first three years in F1 and it\u2019s my first regulation reset, so it\u2019s going to be interesting to see where we come out as a team.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I feel like last year I really proved to myself the things that I\u2019m capable of.<\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely still there are things I need to improve and work on as well, but I feel like I really took a good step forward.<\/p>\n \u201cThose lessons I can take forward into whatever rules we get, so I\u2019m excited.\u201d<\/p>\n Piastri\u2019s comments come after Brundle highlighted the Australian as one to watch in F1 2026, arguing that the disappointment of last season will spur him on.<\/p>\n Brundle told Sky F1:\u00a0\u201cI think he\u2019ll come back with a vengeance, to be honest.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was partly painful, partly brilliant for him, last year. He learned a lot.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that it\u2019s openly accepted that on the really low-grip circuits, he\u2019s not getting the best out of the car and out of the tyre, so he knows he\u2019s got to fix that.<\/p>\n \u201cBut some of the victories he\u2019s had were so dominant, so impressive.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019ll take a lot from that. I\u2019m sure it was painful in the end for him and I think that will be a driver [for him in 2026].<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve observed him. He\u2019s an incredibly bright lad and he\u2019s clearly competitive. He\u2019s a worker.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019ll come back having made a big step forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n