McLaren pinpoints Piastri's biggest problem: 'Driving and thinking'

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes Oscar Piastri's biggest issue this season is that he is "driving and thinking," a habit that slows his decision-making and ultimately costs him lap time. The Australian has fallen further behind teammate Lando Norris in 2026, with no wins and a 66-point deficit in the Drivers' standings.

Why it matters:

After losing the 2025 world title to Norris following a late-season slump, Piastri was tipped for a redemption campaign. Instead, his deficit has grown, raising doubts about his trajectory. Stella's diagnosis suggests a fixable but critical flaw: Piastri needs to trust his instincts and let the car do the talking.

The details:

• Piastri trails Norris in every key metric: qualifying head-to-head, race results, and points. Norris sits fourth with 186 points; Piastri is seventh with 120.
• Stella says Piastri must qualify better and control race execution, pointing to Monza where he dropped from P3 to P6 due to impeding.
• "When you drive and think, things get slowed down," Stella explained. "You are slower as a driver in terms of deciding what to do, and ultimately you are slower in terms of lap times."
• Unfortunate incidents have compounded the issue: a collision with Carlos Sainz at Zandvoort and front-wing damage in Spain after George Russell squeezed him at the start.
• In Spain, Piastri completed the race with a damaged front wing, finishing ninth—a minute and a half behind winner Kimi Antonelli, while Norris took third, just five seconds off the lead.

What's next:

Stella expects a stronger Piastri in the final part of the season as McLaren works to align him with the MCL40. The agenda is clear: improve execution and let Piastri race without overthinking. If that clicks, the gap to Norris could shrink.