Oscar Piastri experiments emerge in search for McLaren MCL40 breakthrough

Oscar Piastri is experimenting with different approaches to extract performance from McLaren's MCL40, but admits progress has been "not linear" as he searches for a breakthrough in his second full season under F1's new regulations. The Australian, who fell 13 points short of the 2025 title, has been overshadowed by teammate Lando Norris and sits seventh in the standings, 46 points behind.

Why it matters:

Piastri's struggles are not just a personal issue—they could impact McLaren's constructors' championship ambitions. With Norris delivering wins in Hungary and the Netherlands, the team needs Piastri consistently scoring to keep rivals at bay. The extra engineering support he's receiving is aimed at unlocking his potential before the season slips away.

The details:

• Piastri revealed at the Azerbaijan GP press conference that he's "exploring different things" with the MCL40, with some working and some not.
• He said progress isn't linear and that last weekend in Madrid, the car was quick but difficult to extract lap time from.
• McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has thrown more engineering resource behind Piastri to help him out of his 2026 woes.
• Piastri has only two podiums this season (Japan and Miami) compared to Norris's two wins, and trails his teammate by 46 points in the drivers' standings.
• He acknowledged the challenge of balancing experimentation with results, saying "you can't just try random stuff" due to limited track time.

What's next:

Piastri remains confident he'll find a way, stressing that the team is "not standing still." He noted that every F1 car he's driven has been different, especially with the regulation changes, but believes the direction is improving. A strong result in Baku could be the turning point he needs.