Conspiracy theories in Formula 1 are probably as old as the sport itself. Every year, the tin-foil hats come out to present the grand theories on the why of the happenings in the sport. In 2025, it is certainly no different. With Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the sharp end of this year’s championship, it’s no surprise that many of the conspiracy theories are swirling around them.
More recently, it’s been Piastri’s dip in form that has proven the perfect catalyst to light the conspiratorial fires. Nowhere else do these theories of grandeur flourish more than on social media. Some, read most, are more outlandish than others and truly deserving of membership to those who find themselves to be allergic to the coincidences.
Some of the theories are also not particularly original. The one most often trotted out is car sabotage. McLaren is deliberately sabotaging Piastri’s car to stop him from winning! This one suggests that McLaren has suddenly decided to favour Lando Norris, and that at the expense of Piastri. It’s a tired old conspiracy that has been bandied about the F1 paddock for many a decade, and it has never been grounded in any sort of reality.
Then there is the theory of the Aussie curse, originated by Mark Webber. The one that suggests that every Aussie driver who performs well will never be able to outshine their teammate without mysterious misfortune. Or maybe it is Daniel Ricciardo’s long game! He may have left McLaren, but his essence didn’t. Some say that the Honey Badger’s angered spirit ensures that no Australian will ever truly settle in comfortably at McLaren again. Heck, maybe it’s kangaroo karma. Maybe all the kangaroos that Piastri has failed to wave at throughout his life have collectively cursed him, and until he publicly acknowledges their sacrifice, he’ll keep missing apexes.
These theories are obviously not meant to be taken seriously. But something has changed since Baku for Oscar Piastri. What is more plausible is the suggestion that McLaren swapped Oscar Piastri’s chassis after his crash in Baku. No two chassis in Formula 1 are, or can ever be, completely identical. No matter how many fancy lasers they scan it with. As such, there’s always the chance that a driver just won’t get the same feeling from the car, and their performance might be somewhat affected as a result.
The most probable reason behind his dip in form might not be as entertaining as those peddled by the tin foil enthusiasts. It might be two-fold: One, Norris has upped his own game and been delivering at a higher level than earlier in the season. This is a fairly easy conclusion, especially given his qualifying performances and a nearly half-minute winning margin in Mexico. And then there is the fact that neither Norris nor Piastri has ever found themselves in a position of fighting for a world championship. At the beginning of the season, it was a far-off possibility. With 24 races in the year, the reality of winning the title could be put off. But now, with only a handful of races to go, it has been not only real but imminent. Pressure is a funny thing. It has the ability to affect even the calmest and coolest of people. Perhaps, for all of his steady demeanour, Piastri is feeling the pressure after all. Maybe not much, but just enough to slightly impact his performances. The mistakes in Baku, highly uncharacteristic, could be pointing to just this.
But there is certainly no chasm between Piastri and Norris that must be overcome. A singular point separates the pair, and if Formula 1 has shown anything it is that it’s never over until that final chequered flag falls.
