McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has consistently stated that Oscar Piastri’s natural driving style is not optimally suited to the 2026 Formula 1 cars. Stella believes Piastri is currently ‘driving and thinking’ rather than relying on pure instinct behind the wheel of the MCL40. This conscious effort is estimated to cost the Australian driver approximately ‘a couple of tenths of a second’ per lap.
The 2026 technical regulations introduced a significant reduction in downforce compared to the preceding ground-effect era. This change has created a challenge for Piastri, whose strengths include a smooth, fluent driving style that benefited from higher downforce levels. The current low-grip conditions and increased tyre degradation demand a different approach.
Piastri has acknowledged that his preferred driving method does not always extract maximum performance from the 2026 McLaren. He is actively working on adaptations to his style to better align with the car’s characteristics.
In the current 2026 season, Piastri sits seventh in the Drivers’ standings with 120 points. Teammate Lando Norris, the reigning world champion, is fourth with 186 points, holding a 66-point advantage. Norris has secured two Grand Prix victories this season, in Budapest and Zandvoort, while Piastri has yet to reach the top step of the podium.
Piastri has not returned to the podium since the Miami Grand Prix earlier this season. He has also been outqualified by Norris in nine of the last eleven races, highlighting the performance disparity within the team.
McLaren is deploying additional engineering resources to Piastri’s car to assist with his adaptation. This strategy mirrors the process the team implemented in 2025 when Norris experienced early-season difficulties. Stella anticipates a similar positive response from Piastri.
Conversely, Lando Norris has expressed a broader perspective on the 2026 cars. He does not subscribe to the idea that the new F1 machinery inherently suits some drivers more than others. This view contrasts with Stella’s specific diagnosis regarding Piastri’s driving style and the MCL40.
Stella has firmly dismissed any suggestions of a psychological barrier affecting Piastri’s performance. He maintains that the challenges are ‘purely technical’ and relate to the necessary driving style adjustments.
Recent race weekends have also presented Piastri with setbacks. At the Italian Grand Prix, he qualified third but started sixth due to an impeding penalty. In Madrid, first-corner contact with George Russell resulted in front wing damage, contributing to an eighth-place finish.
Stella expects Piastri to demonstrate stronger performance in the final part of the current season as he continues to adapt to the demands of the 2026 car.
