Piastri responds to McLaren concern over driving style

Oscar Piastri has responded to McLaren's concerns over his driving style, admitting that the techniques that worked in previous seasons no longer translate to F1's 2026 machines. The Australian says he and the team are still searching for a consistent way to unlock the MCL40.

Why it matters:

Stella recently said Piastri was still 'driving and thinking' instead of acting on instinct. Finding a more intuitive relationship with the car is key to McLaren's hopes.

The details:

• Piastri: 'A lot of the things that have worked for me previously don't really seem to work this year.'
• He says there is no single fix: 'the solution is always a little bit different every time.'
• McLaren has increased technical support for Piastri, but limited track time means new ideas must be chosen carefully.
• The Australian describes progress as non-linear, with last weekend's car quick but difficult to extract lap time from.

Between the lines:

This is less about raw pace and more about adaptability. Piastri is rebuilding his process while still fighting for points, and admits 'some weekends it's going to look a bit better than others.'

What's next:

Baku is a fitting test. Piastri calls it a 'big confidence track' after winning in 2024 and crashing out early in 2025. FP1 begins Thursday.