Oscar Piastri Adapting Driving Style to Combat 'Strange' Performance Drop

Oscar Piastri is actively working to alter his driving style, acknowledging a recent dip in performance compared to his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. After a strong start to the championship, Piastri now trails Norris by a single point following a dominant showing by the Brit at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Why it matters:

Piastri's sudden struggles, particularly on low-grip circuits, are a significant concern as he battles Norris and faces a looming threat from Max Verstappen in the championship. His ability to adapt quickly and regain consistent form is crucial for McLaren's constructor's championship ambitions and his own standing in his rookie season.

The Details:

• Performance Discrepancy: Piastri finished fifth in Mexico after qualifying eighth, a stark contrast to Norris's race win. This follows a trend since his last podium in Italy and his last win at the Dutch GP.
• Championship Slide: Following the Zandvoort race, Piastri held a 34-point advantage, but that lead has evaporated, and he now sits behind Norris.
• Unidentified Issue: McLaren investigated his car after the United States Grand Prix but found no major issues that could explain the drop in pace.
• On-Track Experimentation: In Mexico, Piastri resorted to experimenting with his driving style mid-race to try and understand the car better. He told Sky Sports, "[In qualifying] it became obvious after the session that there was a few things that I needed to change pretty majorly in how I was driving."
• Low-Grip Challenge: It's been suggested that Piastri is struggling to extract pace from the car on lower-grip venues like COTA and Mexico, a characteristic that will also apply to the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix.
• No Car Changes: Piastri emphasized that the car itself hasn't changed, indicating his struggles are related to adapting his approach rather than a fundamental car issue. "The car's not changed in a while now, so it's nothing to do with the car," he stated.

Between the lines:

Piastri's admission of needing to drive "very differently" on recent weekends highlights a significant challenge in his rookie year. While he acknowledges Norris has found it easier to adapt to these specific conditions, Piastri views this as an opportunity to expand his "toolbox" of driving techniques rather than a complete reinvention. The fact that McLaren's development has largely ceased makes this adaptation purely a driver-centric exercise, putting the onus on Piastri to find a solution.

What's next:

With the season nearing its end and upcoming low-grip circuits like Las Vegas, Piastri's ability to quickly implement these driving style changes will be critical. If he can overcome this "strange" issue, it will be a testament to his adaptability and further cement his potential as a top F1 driver. Failure to do so could see him lose further ground to his teammate and fall behind in the championship standings.