Piastri entered the final race in Abu Dhabi needing a major swing in results to overturn Lando Norris’s 16-point championship lead, but a strategic gamble and a lack of pace against Max Verstappen left him second behind the Dutchman at the flag.
With Norris finishing behind him, the Briton sealed the crown as Piastri was left to reflect on a year in which he led the standings longer than anyone else.
Speaking to Speedcafe after the finale, Piastri said he can reflect on the year “very, very proud” of his progress even if the final outcome was not the one he wanted.
“I think definitely I can be very, very proud of the season I’ve had,” Piastri said. “I think when I look at this season compared to my first two years in F1, this year has been head and shoulders above the first two.”
He added that proving to himself what he can achieve has been a defining part of his third season.
“Ultimately, whilst the end result is not quite what I wanted, there’s a lot of optimism and a lot of strength that I’ve gained from proving to myself what I can achieve through this season.
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“Those are the kinds of things that are not necessarily tied to results. So I think for me, I can definitely take that forward into the future.
“It’s only my third attempt at this in F1. Hopefully, I’ve got plenty more to go, but there are definitely lessons from this year that will only make me stronger.
Piastri entered the Abu Dhabi decider needing a near-perfect scenario to overturn Lando Norris’ points lead. He passed his team-mate early and ran ahead of him all race, but third place for Norris sealed the McLaren driver’s maiden title and left Piastri third in the standings behind Norris and Verstappen.
The result is still best championship finish by an Australian since Daniel Ricciardo’s third place in 2016 and a season that delivered seven victories — the most ever by an Australian in a single F1 campaign.
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Reflecting on the race itself, Piastri said he felt he had maximised everything available.
“I think, honestly, pretty good,” he said.
“You know, there wasn’t anything left out there.
So we tried a bit of a gamble on the strategy to give ourselves some different options and hope that the stars aligned and give ourselves the best chance, but ultimately in the end that didn’t happen.”
Missing a practice session added to the challenge on a weekend where he admitted McLaren simply did not have an answer for the pace ahead.
“I think that was the maximum we could have achieved today. We didn’t have an answer for Max’s pace, so pretty happy with the weekend.
“But yeah, not much more we could’ve done.”
Across the season as a whole, Piastri said the experience had been transformative.
“I think, you know, obviously, I would have wished for a slightly different ending, but I think this year I’ve learned a hell of a lot about myself as a race car driver. Myself as a person,” he said.
He noted he would have been “pretty happy” at the start of the year if offered the eventual tally of poles, wins and podiums, adding: “Even in the tough moments I’ve learned a lot about myself and how I can be stronger in the future with that.”
Piastri also praised Norris’ breakthrough title, calling him “a very deserving winner.”
He said the pair had pushed each other harder than ever this season.
“I think I know that every weekend I go on track, it’s going to be tough. And I think we’ve pushed each other through the last three years, I think especially this season, it’s been tighter than ever,” he said.
“I think he’s had a great season and I think probably all three of us, but obviously myself and Lando in the same team and the same car, have had our ups and downs at different moments.
“And yeah, ultimately, I think he’s had a good season and a deserving champion.”
As for the lessons he will take forward, the 24-year-old said they stretched across every aspect of his racing.
“Ultimately both I think,” he said when asked if his learning referenced specific weekends or a broader picture.
“There’s definitely been lessons directly to do with how I drive the car. How I can be better in different conditions and just become a better all-round driver.
“There’s also been lessons outside the car as well with dealing with adversity at times. Dealing with difficult moments that I’ve definitely learned a lot about.”
With 91 days until his home race in Melbourne, Piastri plans to briefly step away and reset before returning to tackle the 2026 regulation overhaul.
“It’s nice having another summer break,” he said.
“I’m obviously going back to Australia for a little bit. See my family and friends, give my annual hellos and goodbyes.
“But, yeah, I mean, I’m just looking forward to some time away from racing for a little bit to be honest.”
He expects the short off-season will be vital before preparations begin for McLaren’s next major challenge under sweeping new regulation changes.
“It’s obviously a long season and demanding season and as enjoyable as driving the fastest cars in the world is, I think a break every now and again is always a nice thing,” he added.
“So yeah, just looking forward to spending some time not thinking about race cars and spending some time with the people around me and then, yeah, obviously, like you pointed out, the new season’s not far away.
“So there’s obviously a massive challenge ahead of everyone for next year.”
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