Oscar Piastri is embracing a fresh challenge at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. The McLaren driver aims to turn encouraging signs from Azerbaijan into a tangible result after a turbulent 2026 season. Formula 1 returns to Malaysia for the first time since 2017—the Bahrain Grand Prix was relocated due to regional conflict in the Middle East—offering Piastri a new stage to bounce back.
In Baku, Piastri showed promise. He qualified third, matching his best starting position of the season for the third time after Japan and Italy. However, his race unravelled: a Turn 1 lock-up on the second Safety Car restart sent him through the run-off and dropped him to 14th. Despite that, he felt the weekend marked an important improvement in his performance and McLaren’s ability to extract more from the car.
“There’s been more than a few setbacks this year, but there are definitely a lot of positives from last weekend,” Piastri said. “Baku was the first time in a while where I felt in control and back at a level I’m happy with. The result wasn’t what I wanted, but I was much happier with my personal performance and how we as a team got more out of the car. The ceiling of the car wasn’t as high as at certain other tracks, but I felt much closer to its capability. I need to replicate that everywhere and finish the job in terms of results.”
Piastri has now gone over a year without a grand prix victory and hasn’t finished on the podium since Miami in May. He believes Sepang should offer McLaren a more favourable mix than Baku, though the circuit’s long straights could expose a weak area. “It’s a track I’ve not driven before, so it’s always a new challenge,” he said. “I think it should suit our car a bit better than Baku. There are more high-speed corners here, which is good for us. There are also quite a few long straights, which is not necessarily our strongest area. But I think we should be relatively good here.”
The lack of recent F1 running at Sepang means adaptation will play a significant role. “It’s a big unknown for everyone because the track hasn’t been raced on in F1 for 10 years. There will be a lot of variables, including the weather,” he said. “So it’s not going to be as straightforward as whoever has the quickest car and the car that suits the track will be best. It’s going to be who can work things out, who gets the strategy right, who deals with the weather. There will be a lot of variables.”
With Sepang’s mix of high-speed corners and long straights, McLaren is expected to be more competitive. But Piastri stresses the importance of flawless execution. He is determined to seize the opportunity and end his podium drought. The Malaysian race will be a true test for Piastri and McLaren to prove themselves at a circuit full of surprises.
Baca Juga
Latihan bebas pertama GP Bahrain di Malaysia digelar di Sirkuit Sepang. Simak jadwal, kondisi klasemen, dan persiapan tim jelang FP1 hari ini.
Oscar Piastri siap hadapi tantangan baru di Sirkuit Sepang, Malaysia, setelah sinyal positif di Azerbaijan. Simak analisis dan peluangnya di F1 2026.
Oscar Piastri menepis anggapan bahwa persahabatan antar pembalap F1 melemahkan daya saing. Simak komentar lengkapnya jelang GP Bahrain.
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