When the lights went out at Zandvoort last weekend, Oscar Piastri hoped to close the gap to his teammate, Lando Norris. But the Australian once again had to swallow a bitter pill: finishing sixth, 32 seconds behind Norris, who claimed his second consecutive victory for McLaren.
This isn't just a bad result; it's becoming a worrying pattern. Since Norris's win in Hungary, Piastri has failed to find his best form. A DNF at Silverstone and a finish outside the top five leave him 55 points adrift of Norris in the standings, with a 13-4 qualifying head-to-head record further highlighting the gap between them.
The Driving Style Mystery
Piastri admitted his confusion. "Unfortunately it's not the first race where the pace just hasn't been there," he said. "Lando has just won the race by quite a lot, so I think the car is in a good place. It's been quick the last two weekends. These tracks suit the car well. It's just for whatever reason, I've not been able to get the pace out of it."
Analysts are linking his struggles to the 2026 regulation changes that reduce downforce, making the car harder to handle. Piastri is known to struggle in low-grip conditions, as seen when his title bid collapsed late last season at Baku, Singapore, and Mexico City. Despite glimpses of potential, like leading SQ2 at Zandvoort, consistency remains his biggest enemy.
In Zandvoort qualifying, Piastri started fourth, just 0.142s behind Norris and narrowly behind the Mercedes duo. But in the race, the story was different. "In qualifying I felt more comfortable, but in the race, the story just wasn't the same at all," he said. "That's the biggest difference."
Sunday's race was indeed dramatic: Piastri overtook Russell for third, but a slow 5.4s pitstop dropped him to fourth, then both Ferraris passed him. He finished far behind Norris, providing plenty of food for thought for the team.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella dismissed psychological issues: "I don't think it has anything to do with any psychological kind of opportunity..." But he didn't offer a definitive answer either, signaling that the puzzle remains unsolved. For Piastri, the road back to the podium feels long, and he must quickly find the key to unlocking the car's potential.
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