Raikkonen Warns Oscar After Piastri’s 2025 Collapse
Kimi Raikkonen said oscar Piastri could not handle the pressure of his 2025 title battle, putting the McLaren driver’s late-season collapse back under the spotlight. The 2007 world champion also warned Kimi Antonelli not to repeat the same mistake as he pushes through a 2026 title fight.
Raikkonen on Oscar Piastri
Raikkonen delivered the blunt assessment in an interview with Quotidiano Sportivo, saying, "The Australian McLaren driver seemed to have the title in the bag but couldn’t handle the pressure." Piastri had led the championship by 34 points after the Dutch Grand Prix in 2025, then lost ground as the season moved on.
His finish to that title race was still strong on paper. He won the Qatar Sprint and finished second in the Grand Prix in the final two rounds of 2025, then took second again at the Abu Dhabi finale. But Lando Norris still emerged as a first-time world champion, closing the door on Piastri’s championship bid.
Kimi Antonelli’s 2026 run
Raikkonen’s warning was aimed at Antonelli as much as it was at Piastri. He said the Mercedes driver has special talent, adding, "Obviously, in Formula 1, you don’t win four consecutive grand prix races unless you have a special talent" and "Antonelli won’t lose his focus; he’s showing maturity."
Antonelli has won four consecutive grands prix in F1 2026 and leads the championship by 43 points after a DNF for George Russell. Raikkonen said, "The Italian lad won’t fall into the same trap," and added, "He’ll have to avoid following in the footsteps of Piastri in 2025."
Piastri’s late-year drop
The contrast between the two title fights is what makes Raikkonen’s comments land. Piastri was 34 points clear after Zandvoort, then saw the momentum shift as the pressure of a tight championship chase took over. Antonelli, by comparison, enters the same sort of spotlight with a bigger gap and a four-race winning streak behind him.
That puts the focus on how long the 2026 lead can hold. Raikkonen’s view leaves no room for comfort: Antonelli has speed, he has points in hand, and he now has to carry both without losing the focus that slipped away from Piastri in 2025.
