Oscar Piastri is experiencing his toughest run of the season, despite spending most of the year at the top of the standings. After his victory in Zandvoort, things have not gone his way. He finished third in Monza, crashed out in Baku, came fourth in Singapore, and managed only fifth in Austin after failing to finish the sprint race.

Those results have cut his lead significantly. His advantage over team-mate Lando Norris has shrunk from 34 points to 14, while Max Verstappen has reduced the gap from 104 to 40. In the United States Grand Prix, Piastri struggled for pace throughout the weekend, while Norris finished second behind Verstappen.

Despite this difficult spell, Piastri insists he remains confident about his title chances. “I’d still rather be where I am than the other two,” he said quoted by Motorsport Week. “Obviously this weekend isn’t what I wanted or expected, but I’m not panicking. It’s been a strange few rounds, each one for different reasons. Baku was obviously a bit of a disaster, Singapore was fine but nothing special, and Austin just didn’t really come together.”

Piastri admitted that Red Bull’s improvement has made life harder at the front of the field. “Max and Red Bull have definitely found a lot of pace since the summer break,” he said. “We saw flashes of it earlier in the year, but it’s been consistent since Zandvoort. They’ve been very strong recently, but I still believe we can match them if we get back to our level.”

When asked if he now felt more pressure from Verstappen, Piastri remained calm. “Not necessarily,” he replied. “He’s obviously quick, but for me the biggest focus is working out why Austin was tough and getting back to the form we had earlier in the season. There’s still a long way to go. Max has closed the gap quite quickly, but it’s not exactly a small one with five races left. If we find our pace again, I think everything will take care of itself.”

The Australian, who has already shown his ability to handle title fights in the junior categories, said he’s not dwelling on the points he has lost. “I’ve been in fights that were just as close, if not closer, than this,” he explained. “I know things can still turn out well, and I fully believe I can win the championship. The last few weekends have been tricky, but performance is what wins championships, not counting points. The faster you go, the more points you get, and that’s all I’m focused on.”