McLaren driver admits adapting to Formula 1’s new regulations has required him to abandon techniques that previously defined his driving style
Oscar Piastri has revealed that some of the driving techniques that made him a Formula 1 title contender in 2025 have become significant disadvantages under the sport’s new technical regulations.
The McLaren driver admits that adapting to the 2026 cars has required him to rethink established habits, presenting both technical and psychological challenges.
However, after a difficult season, the Australian believes his recent performances indicate that he is finally making progress.
A difficult 2026 season after challenging for the title
Piastri’s 2026 campaign has been markedly different from the previous season, when he was among the drivers competing for the World Championship.
With much of the season completed, the Australian sits seventh in the Drivers’ Championship with 138 points and has yet to secure a Grand Prix victory.
His teammate Lando Norris, the reigning world champion, has also endured a less successful campaign than in 2025 but remains comfortably ahead in the standings.
Norris occupies sixth place with 201 points, giving him a 63-point advantage over Piastri.
The introduction of Formula 1’s new technical regulations has fundamentally changed the characteristics of the cars, forcing drivers to reconsider aspects of their driving styles.
For Piastri, that transition has proved particularly demanding.
Nevertheless, as Formula 1 begins a three-race stretch across the Americas, the McLaren driver believes he is starting to rediscover some of the confidence and familiarity that contributed to his success last year.
Piastri sees progress after three encouraging Grands Prix
During the FIA’s official press conference in Austin, Piastri was asked about recent comments from McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.
Brown had suggested that the Australian was gradually returning to the level he demonstrated before encountering difficulties earlier in the season.
Piastri broadly agreed with that assessment, although he acknowledged that he remains some distance from where he ultimately wants to be.
“It was certainly difficult to find that again for a while, but I feel that the last three Grands Prix have definitely brought me closer to where I want to be.”
“I’m still not at the level I’m aiming for, but I’m back in the area where I should be. It’s no secret that this year has been complicated in terms of understanding how to get the most out of the car.”
Despite the challenges, he believes recent developments in his understanding of the car have made driving feel increasingly natural.
“But I feel that over the last few weeks, things have started to become a little more natural. It’s still very difficult, but we’re finding a solution.”
Importantly, Piastri explained that his improvement has not been driven by a major transformation of McLaren’s car.
Instead, much of the work has involved adjusting his own driving techniques to better suit the characteristics of the 2026 machinery.
“What worked for me last year is now working against me”
One of the most significant challenges for Piastri has been discovering that techniques which previously gave him a competitive advantage no longer deliver the same results.
The Australian explained that the differences between the current generation of cars and their predecessors require more than minor adjustments.
“We’ve tried different things. I think what’s been complicated this year is that the problems can’t be fixed quickly. And even trying to solve them completely is not an easy task at all.”
Piastri acknowledged that the process has demanded substantial effort as he attempts to adapt his natural driving style to the car.
“We’ve tried certain things. It’s taken an enormous amount of work to adapt my driving to the car, because the things that often worked so well for me at certain points last year are precisely the things that are hurting me on many weekends this season.”
The challenge has therefore involved moving away from techniques that had become instinctive rather than simply attempting to reproduce the approach that worked in 2025.
For Piastri, adapting to the new regulations has meant reconsidering some of the fundamental elements of his driving.
The psychological challenge of changing established habits
Beyond the technical adjustments, Piastri admitted that abandoning familiar driving techniques has also presented a mental challenge.
Having spent considerable time developing an approach that previously delivered strong results, the Australian has found it difficult to move away from those established habits.
“When you can no longer rely on the things you would normally want to rely on, it’s always complicated.”
“There’s obviously the difficulty of adapting, but when you’ve been used to a certain approach working for you for a long time, trying to move away from that also represents a mental challenge.”
The process has required patience as Piastri works to establish a driving style better suited to the demands of the new cars.
Although he believes the situation is improving, he stressed that the adaptation remains incomplete.
“So I feel that we’re making progress and things are starting to become a little more comfortable, but there’s still some way to go.”
Austin could expose McLaren’s strengths and weaknesses
Looking ahead to the United States Grand Prix, Piastri expects the Circuit of the Americas to present a mixed challenge for McLaren.
The Austin circuit features both high-speed sequences and slower corners, areas in which the team has demonstrated contrasting levels of competitiveness throughout the season.
“Generally speaking, the high-speed corners have been where we’ve performed best this year, while the slow-speed corners have been where we’ve struggled.”
Piastri confirmed that McLaren has brought some new components to Austin, although he acknowledged that the team remains slightly behind its closest competitors.
“Here, we have both… We’ve got a few new things on the car that should help us a little. We’re slightly behind the teams around us.”
The Australian hopes those developments will provide some assistance as McLaren attempts to improve its competitiveness across the different sections of the circuit.
Red Bull’s upgrades have changed the competitive order
Piastri also addressed the shifting balance of performance among Formula 1’s leading teams.
He believes Red Bull has made substantial progress over the last three Grands Prix, with its developments introduced in Azerbaijan playing an important role.
“I think Red Bull has clearly made a big step over the last three Grands Prix. The upgrades they brought to Baku were very effective.”
He also acknowledged Ferrari’s strong performance in Singapore, explaining that McLaren had anticipated the Italian team’s competitiveness at that circuit.
“I don’t think it was a surprise to see Ferrari so strong in Singapore. We expected Ferrari to be the benchmark there.”
According to Piastri, both Ferrari and Red Bull held an advantage over McLaren during that period.
“Both teams were clearly stronger than us. Over the last few weeks, Red Bull has become the most consistently fast car.”
His assessment highlights the challenge McLaren faces as it attempts to close the gap to its rivals during the final stages of the season.
Piastri believes Antonelli would deserve the world title
Piastri was also asked about the possibility of Kimi Antonelli securing his first Formula 1 World Championship in 2026.
The Mercedes driver currently leads the standings and has emerged as one of the standout performers under the new regulations following his debut season in the championship.
Piastri praised the Italian’s development, particularly his ability to adapt to cars and power units that differ significantly from those used in 2025.
“He’s obviously been very, very impressive. The progress he’s made since his first season is quite remarkable, especially with different cars and different engines.”
“He’s done a good job adapting to the demands of these cars… I think he would be a deserving world champion this year.”
Piastri remains cautiously optimistic about his recovery
Despite a season marked by difficulties, Piastri believes his recent performances represent a meaningful improvement in his adaptation to Formula 1’s new generation of cars.
The Australian has acknowledged that the techniques which contributed to his success in 2025 have not translated effectively to the current regulations, requiring substantial changes to his approach.
Although McLaren has introduced relatively limited changes to its car, Piastri has continued working to adjust his driving style and regain the level of performance he expects from himself.
With Austin presenting a combination of high-speed and low-speed challenges, the United States Grand Prix will provide another opportunity to assess that progress.
Piastri remains aware that further work is required, but his recent experiences have given him reason to believe he is moving closer to the level he wants to achieve.
