Oscar Piastri Says Austrian GP Proved McLaren's Progress

Oscar Piastri believes the Austrian Grand Prix marked an important breakthrough for McLaren, saying the team's revised approach following a difficult weekend in Barcelona was reflected in his strongest Formula 1 result since Miami.

The Australian started only seventh at the Red Bull Ring but climbed to fourth by the chequered flag, successfully holding off Lewis Hamilton. It was Piastri's best Grand Prix finish since claiming third place in Miami four races earlier and came despite Ferrari appearing to have the stronger package during much of the weekend.

McLaren Changed Its Approach After Barcelona

Piastri revealed McLaren spent considerable time analysing the shortcomings that affected its performance in Barcelona. According to the Australian, the team approached the Austrian weekend differently, resulting in a much more competitive race package.

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"We put a lot of effort into understanding why Barcelona was so tricky. We attacked things pretty differently for this weekend, and I think the result is evidence of that work," Piastri said.

Although McLaren still lacked the outright pace to challenge Mercedes or Max Verstappen, Piastri believes the team took a significant step forward by outperforming Ferrari over race distance.

Tyre Management and Strategy Made the Difference

Piastri explained that following other cars closely was noticeably easier than in previous races. He highlighted that the slipstream effect at the Red Bull Ring proved more influential than the overtake mode, particularly when running on fresher tyres than nearby rivals.

"I think being able to follow a bit closer was easier. The slipstream was worth a lot, and if you had a tyre advantage, you could make things happen," he explained.

He also acknowledged that McLaren's race strategy contributed to the result, but stressed that improved race pace was equally important in allowing the team to finish ahead of Ferrari.

Still Not Enough to Challenge Mercedes

Despite the encouraging result, Piastri admitted McLaren still lacked the outright speed to fight Mercedes or Verstappen for victory. He also acknowledged Red Bull was more competitive than expected throughout the weekend.

"Our pace was a little bit stronger than Ferrari's, but clearly not strong enough to challenge Mercedes. Verstappen was also quicker than we expected," he said.

A Positive Foundation Before Silverstone

Fourth place in Austria provides valuable momentum for McLaren heading into the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The performance suggests the team's revised setup direction is beginning to deliver measurable gains, even if further improvements are still required to compete consistently for victories.

For Piastri, Austria represented more than simply another strong points finish. It validated the technical work completed since Barcelona and offered evidence that McLaren is moving in the right direction as the 2026 Formula 1 season enters its next phase.