Mark Webber explains the difference between his Red Bull title heartbreak and Oscar Piastri’s

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Mark Webber has opened up about how his title disappointment at Red Bull compares to Oscar Piastri’s in 2025.

Piastri looked in control of the championship heading into the summer break, thanks to a strong start to the season and consistent performances.

But his form dipped in the second half of the campaign, while Norris found another gear, overtaking him in the standings.

Max Verstappen surged late to claim another world title, with Norris finishing second and Piastri dropping to third by just two points.

Mark Webber ‘proud’ of how Oscar Piastri dealt with 2025 title disappointment

Webber, who now manages Piastri’s commercial interests, spoke to RacingNews365 about how their experiences compare.

Webber’s near-misses came later in his career, all while driving for Red Bull. He finished third overall three times: twice behind Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, and once behind Vettel and Jenson Button.

Piastri’s situation is different. He faced similar disappointment much earlier in his career, something Webber says adds context to what he achieved.

“My missed championship was much later in my career,” Webber said. “Whereas his is very early in his career, which is a big feather in his own cap. It’s incredible what he’s been able to do in such a short period of time, which of course we’re immensely proud of.

“When you aim incredibly high and you just miss, it’s something you have to learn from quickly and rebound. It’s how you get back up and that’s what he’s done, what he’s doing. We’ve seen that.

“Of course it was a winter of reflection clearly because that has to happen after such a long campaign.”

Mark Webber believes Oscar Piastri can improve in 2026