The Formula 1 championship campaign has brought unique challenges for Oscar Piastri, who has openly admitted that his MCL40 charger demands an exceptionally aggressive driving approach. The Australian driver explained that this year's challenger from Woking requires immense physical and mental effort to deliver competitive lap times on the asphalt.
Speaking to the media ahead of the race weekend, the driver behind car number 81 detailed how the unique characteristics of his machinery force drivers to constantly operate right on the absolute limit. According to him, the car will not naturally cooperate unless it is driven fiercely and pushed to its extreme limits every single second.
"The best way to describe it is, I don't even know if this is politically correct anymore, but you've got to manhandle the car a bit," Piastri revealed regarding his driving style.
"It's not a car that naturally does all the things you want, and it's rare that there is a car that does everything that you want. But it just seems like this year's car in particular, you really have to drive it at 100%, or what feels like about 110%, to be quick, firstly, but also to get the car to do more of what you want," he added.
This season has proven considerably more testing for the young driver after fighting tooth and nail for title contention last year. As the racing calendar nears its final rounds, he has secured two podium finishes in Suzuka and Miami, placing him seventh in the drivers' standings.
Nevertheless, performance maintenance and uncovering aerodynamic sweet spots remain the team's primary focus. He firmly believes that the underlying potential of the MCL40 is genuinely high and capable of winning races, but unlocking that narrow operating window is precisely where the hardest battle lies.
"When you're able to put it on that limit, it has a lot of potential. The car can be a race-winning car if you manage to sort it out, but just finding that limit is incredibly tough," he explained.
Comparing it to last year's title-contending machinery, the contrast is stark. Last season's car was much more forgiving, allowing fast lap times without needing to push every single fraction of performance. In contrast, this year's challenger immediately punishes the driver the moment concentration drops or grip limits are exceeded.
In the constructors' championship standings, McLaren currently holds fourth place with 398 points, while the ultimate championship glory has already been secured by Kimi Antonelli alongside the Mercedes squad. Even so, motivation within the Woking garage remains high heading into the final three rounds.
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