Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has handed Oscar Piastri brutal feedback that his performance in Mexico was not "good enough to be world champion", recognising that the Australian is "struggling".
Piastri was off the pace throughout the Mexico City Grand Prix and was comfortably beaten by Lando Norris. While Norris converted pole into victory, Piastri finished 42 seconds adrift in fifth.
It was a disastrous outcome for the 24-year-old, who for the first time since Saudi Arabia lost the lead of the drivers' title – Norris has a one-point advantage.
A period of difficulty is being experienced by Piastri, who has failed to finish on the podium in the last four races. However, Steiner does not believe McLaren is giving him the support he needs.
Assessing Piastri's performance in Mexico, Steiner told the Red Flags podcast: "It wasn't good enough to be world champion. He's struggling now, and I don't know what exactly is happening.
"But one of the things I could conclude out of it is that Oscar, he doesn't get support from the team to win the championship.
"You lose a little bit your mojo, you have doubts, and you don't perform. As you call it, the Iceman. You don't perform anymore without, [being like] I'm here to win.
"At the beginning of the season, he had no pressure, because he was number two in the team, unofficially, obviously not officially.
"But again, Lando has been there a lot longer. He's older, he's got a lot more experience. Oscar comes up, wins races, puts himself in the position. Everything goes right."
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Piastri's papaya rules difficulty
Qualifying has been a particular problem for Piastri since the summer break, with his pole in Zandvoort being the exception.
There are several factors Steiner puts behind the struggle being experienced by the Melbourne-born driver, including, McLaren's use of papaya rules.
"Then, I think with all these papaya rules, I don't remember them all when they let [Piastri] pass, let Norris] go, you go, I go, let Max go, all that stuff," added Steiner.
"In the end, I think he lost a little bit of confidence, and therefore, qualifying, you're out there on your own, it's just difficult.
"[In Mexico] he didn't have a good lap. You start in Mexico, where he started, you haven't got a chance."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Sam Coop, Fergal Walsh and Nick Golding, as they look back on last weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix. Lando Norris' crushing victory is a lead talking point, as is Max Verstappen keeping himself firmly in title contention.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
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