The McLaren driver has faced a difficult run of races, culminating in a fifth-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix after starting seventh on the grid.
His weekend contrasted sharply with teammate Lando Norris, who dominated from pole to take victory and reclaim the lead in the drivers’ championship for the first time since Bahrain, one point ahead of Piastri.
It marked Piastri’s fourth consecutive race without a podium, while Max Verstappen also continues to close in, now just 36 points behind Norris and 35 behind Piastri, keeping the championship fight tense and unpredictable with four rounds remaining.
Herbert told Speedcafe that Piastri’s calm, unreadable demeanour could be a key advantage as the championship heads into its final stages, adding that his newfound position as the chaser could work to his advantage.
“The chaser, it’s always less pressure,” the three-time race winner said.
“And that is always something. But they’re so, so close.
“Does he change anything? No, he doesn’t change anything, because has he lost what he had at the beginning of the season? Absolutely not.”
“Has every great Formula 1 driver won every single race of a Formula 1 season? No. Because it doesn’t work like that.
“But you’ve just got to be able to package everything that’s around you within that bubble of McLaren and utilise it and be ready for when it clicks.
“And it just hasn’t quite for him at the present time.”
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The former F1 driver explained that swings in performance are normal in F1, with certain tracks suiting some drivers more than others.
Piastri’s recent struggles, he added, reflect the natural ebb and flow of a championship rather than a loss of ability, with confidence in the car, timing, and a calm mindset under pressure proving critical.
“You’re never going to rule out Oscar,” he said.
“But it just needs all the little bits of the puzzle that worked for Max when he had that little run.
“The puzzle where there was a piece missing for Lando…after the first couple of races and then mid-season. It wasn’t quite working for him. And Oscar was in a happy place, and now Oscar’s not in a happy place.
“So there’s all these little ingredients that seem to be coming into play of how they’re feeling with the car when they’re in the cockpit.
“When you’re not quite feeling it, it doesn’t happen. And it doesn’t even happen for someone like Max either. Like it didn’t in Mexico.
“But then when that confidence is there in the car, they can actually, with the pressure that’s there, deal with it at the same time.
“So it fascinates me how it has sort of swung around as much as it has. And I think it’s not stopped swinging yet.”
He emphasised that overthinking or trying to change his approach could be counterproductive for Piastri.
“You just do your race and your weekend and then hopefully at the end of it, you’ll be in a much stronger position and you’ll probably have a nice pleasant surprise and smile on your face when you have a better race weekend,” Herbert added.
“So I don’t think there’s anything particular that you do try and change as a driver.”
Herbert also added how Piastri’s calm personality makes him difficult to read for rivals and teammates alike, which can be a strategic advantage.
“That’s always a very useful tool when you’re battling for races and going for a championship,” he said.
“If we can’t read him, then his teammates aren’t going to be able to read him either.
“And that’s a powerful thing to have.”
Johnny Herbert was made available by Betting Lounge for this interview.
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