McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has shed light on the primary factors driving Oscar Piastri’s ongoing struggles to secure consistent success during the 2026 Formula 1 season. After an impressive campaign in 2025 where the Australian secured seven Grand Prix victories and led the Driver’s Championship for a significant portion before narrowly losing out to teammate Lando Norris, Piastri has managed only two podium finishes so far this year, with his last appearance on the rostrum coming in Miami back in May.
Speaking to the media in Singapore, Stella explained that the characteristics of the MCL40 demand a driving style that diverges markedly from its predecessor. This shift has not instantly clicked with Piastri’s signature clean driving approach, which historically yielded highly repeatable and rapid telemetry data. The introduction of the new car generation requires a level of physical input and aggressive handling that has forced the young Australian into a lengthy adaptation phase.
The current machinery requires substantial effort to deliver competitive lap times, demanding an intensity in driving inputs that far exceeds last year's requirements. This adjustment period has naturally taken time for the drivers to comprehend, which directly contributes to why Oscar has seemingly lost a degree of outright competitiveness relative to his teammate. Stella emphasized that the team's internal discussions have consistently pointed toward this being a technical hurdle rather than a loss of raw talent.
Elaborating on the technical challenge, Stella noted that Oscar simply needed to understand how to force the car to execute specific maneuvers while abandoning the notion that driving fast automatically equates to driving cleanly. In the past, Piastri's standout trait was his immaculate cleanliness behind the wheel, producing exceptionally clean data that was both repeatable and fast. However, combining those traditional traits with the demands of the current aerodynamic regulations has proven exceptionally demanding.
Looking ahead at development updates, McLaren has confirmed that a new upgrade package will arrive before the conclusion of the 2026 season. Nevertheless, Stella tempered expectations by clarifying that these upcoming parts will not instantly eradicate the handling characteristics that have troubled his driver. The team acknowledges that a more fundamental overhaul is required, which is already a core focus for the longer-term development of the MCL41 chassis ahead of the 2027 championship.
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