Piastri: McLaren's MCL40 Needs 'Manhandling' to Unlock Pace

Oscar Piastri says McLaren’s 2026 car must be “manhandled” to extract lap time, a demand that has left him chasing the MCL40’s narrow performance window while teammate Lando Norris has surged ahead. Piastri has not finished on the podium since Miami in May—17 races ago—and has averaged 7.1 across his 15 finishes since.

Why it matters:

Piastri’s struggle highlights how sharply F1’s 2026 regulations have changed the driving challenge. The lighter, smaller cars are twitchier through corners and require constant micro-corrections, a contrast to the high-downforce ground-effect machines he used to lead the championship for 15 races in 2025.

The details:

• Piastri describes the MCL40 as a car that “does not naturally do all the things you want,” forcing him to drive at what feels like 110% just to be quick.
• He says the car has race-winning potential when placed on its limit, but finding that limit is “incredibly tough.”
• The balance is unforgiving: drop below 100% and time drains quickly, unlike last year’s car, which he could “listen” to more easily.
• Norris has taken four poles and three wins since Piastri’s last podium, including the most recent race in Sao Paulo.

What's next:

McLaren must help Piastri widen the MCL40’s usable window, not simply chase peak downforce. If the team can make the car less knife-edge, Piastri’s smooth style could return to the fore—and McLaren’s intra-team fight could tighten again.