Oscar Piastri on new ‘trajectory’ after driving style ‘adaptations’

Oscar Piastri’s improved Monza showing has convinced McLaren team principal Andrea Stella that the Australian is on the right path with driving style adaptations for 2026 machinery. Piastri ran near the podium before Lando Norris passed him on the final lap, putting both McLarens in the top five for the first time since Barcelona.

Why it matters:

Piastri has been consistent, with eight top-six finishes in 10 races, but Norris holds a 55-point lead. Stella calls the gap “purely technical,” and this progress is key to McLaren’s constructors’ fight.

The details:

• Stella said Monza “confirms a trajectory” with Piastri, after races where the team identified needed adjustments to his natural style.
• McLaren adopted the same approach used with Norris last year, seeing “pretty radical” developments.
• Piastri was competitive in Zandvoort qualifying, but needed more race trim work. That work paid off at Monza.
• Stella praised Piastri’s sharpness with the power unit, a key area in 2026 machinery.
• He stressed bridging the gap between feeling comfortable and making the car fast: “We don’t have to feel the car good; we have to make the car fast.”

What's next:

Piastri sits seventh in the Drivers’ standings, with McLaren third in the Constructors’. Stella expects a strong second half, saying: “I think he will have a very strong second half of the season.”