Piastri goes to Las Vegas this weekend knowing he needs some of the luck on the floodlit Strip to fall his way, having to hit the jackpot while fortune perhaps deserts his soaraway teammate Lando Norris.
For the odds are now stacked against the 24-year-old Melburnian who had led by 34 points just over 10 weeks ago but now finds himself 24 points behind Norris after an alarming slump in which he's failed to make the podium in his last five races.
It's prompted plenty of pundits to weigh in on whether the Australian might have succumbed to the burden of suddenly finding himself being expected to become Australia's first F1 champion since Alan Jones 45 years ago and only the third ever following triple winner Jack Brabham and Jones.
"He's found something, hasn't he? And it's been perfect timing," 1996 champion Damon Hill has been the latest to note of Norris, while adding: "It's come at a time when Oscar suddenly looks a bit forlorn, a bit under pressure."
But McLaren CEO Zak Brown offered a very different version of Piastri's mood when he said: "Oscar's definitely fighting back - I think one of his greatest strengths is he just gets in the zone."
That's the good news for Piastri fans, who saluted him for collecting Australian sport's highest hall-of-fame honour, the Don Award, this week -- but the rather more sobering news is that Brown also believes: "I've never seen Lando in a better place."
Norris, who's won the last two races in Mexico and Brazil in tremendous style and has outpaced the Aussie in the last six grand prix, faced boos from fans after both his latest triumphs, prompting various theories including that some supporters believe McLaren have been favouring the Briton over Piastri.
Whatever the reason, Brown reckoned it wasn't concerning Norris. "The booing would have bothered him in the past but he recognises that was as much probably booing for me and how we're treating it (the duel between teammates). So he's in a great place. It's not bothering him," said the Californian.
"And the best part is, it's real, right? Sometimes you can go 'don't let that stuff bother you' but you can see it does. He is just in a good place, he's doing his thing... he's just engaged, in the zone, totally focused but they're both relaxed. They're not faking it. They're chilled."
By Sunday night, the championship could be just a two-driver duel between the McLaren pair, if Norris increases his lead over third-placed Max Verstappen from 49 to 58 points.
That would mean McLaren, who have already clinched the constructors', are sure of taking both titles in the same season for the first time this century.
"I'd love to be in a position where we leave this race and I know a papaya car is going to be the drivers' champion," admitted Brown.
"Last weekend in Brazil was great, because Lando extended his lead, but the glass-half-empty side is -- it got closer between Max and Oscar. And what we really want to do is not just win the drivers' championship. We want to finish first and second."
With Reuters
