{"id":549887,"date":"2026-03-19T05:25:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T05:25:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/549887\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T05:25:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T05:25:15","slug":"revealed-the-damning-facts-that-mean-its-almost-impossible-for-oscar-piastri-to-win-the-f1-world-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/549887\/","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: The damning facts that mean it’s almost IMPOSSIBLE for Oscar Piastri to win the F1 world championship"},"content":{"rendered":"

McLaren driver is fighting uphill battle\u00a0<\/p>\n

By MICHAEL PONTICELLO FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA <\/p>\n

Published: 21:12 EDT, 18 March 2026 | Updated: 21:13 EDT, 18 March 2026 <\/p>\n

Aussie F1 star Oscar Piastri<\/a> will have to rewrite history in two ways if he wants to win the 2026 World Drivers’ Championship.<\/p>\n

The McLaren driver has endured a disastrous beginning to the season after a crash in Melbourne and mechanical issues in China have stopped him from driving a single lap in a Grand Prix so far.<\/p>\n

He is currently 48 points behind the championship leader, with Mercedes driver George Russell<\/a> sitting on 51 after winning in Melbourne, then coming first in the sprint and second in the main race at the Chinese Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

That margin is already larger than the biggest deficit any F1 star has overcome in order to win the drivers’ title.<\/p>\n

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen<\/a>, who has been open with his disdain of the sport’s new regulations, recovered to take the crown after trailing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc<\/a>\u00a0by 46 points in 2022.<\/p>\n

German legend Sebastian Vettel<\/a> also came back from a 44-point deficit in 2012.<\/p>\n

\"Oscar <\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri (pictured) has failed to start both of this season’s grand prix races<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Aussie star (pictured) will have to create a stunning piece of F1 history in order to take the drivers’ crown this year\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Max <\/p>\n

Max Verstappen (pictured) currently holds the record for greatest points comeback in F1 history<\/p>\n

Piastri also has the unwanted record of being the first driver in 56 years to fail to start in consecutive grands prix \u2013 and no driver has recovered from a setback like that and gone on to win the title.<\/p>\n

Ironically, McLaren founder Bruce McLaren was the last star to fail to start two races in a row, when he finished third in the championship in 1969.<\/p>\n

Piastri didn’t start the Australian Grand Prix after crashing his car on the reconnaissance lap in front of his home fans at the Albert Park circuit.<\/p>\n

He then didn’t take part in the Chinese Grand Prix after his McLaren suffered an electrical issue with the power unit just moments before the race began.<\/p>\n

The Aussie’s world-champion teammate Lando Norris hasn’t fared much better, with the British driver sitting sixth in the standings after also failing to make it onto the starting grid in Shanghai.<\/p>\n

Piastri’s next chance to break into the points will come at the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29.<\/p>\n

He and the rest of the field will then have a five-week break after the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races due to the war in the Middle East.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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