Oscar Piastri says the challenge of 2026 has required him to relearn how he senses a car’s limit and how he measures progress. In an F1 interview published on November 13, he discussed the MCL40’s handling, changes in confidence and the work shared with his engineers. The interview took place in Austin before the United States Grand Prix.
After fighting for the championship last year, Piastri began this season with non-starts in Australia and China. Changes to the car and tyres also demanded a recalibration of instincts built through previous experience. The difficulty involved both results and the daily task of extracting speed.
Rebuilding an instinct for grip
Piastri explained that drivers develop a feel for the boundary of available grip, learning when they can push and when they have gone beyond it. The new car changed that judgement. The MCL40 has often required corrections and saves, making familiar habits less instinctively effective.
That has changed how he assesses his own work. Wins and points provide direct targets during a title campaign. This year also requires him to recognise a better understanding of the car and stronger execution in difficult circumstances. He acknowledged the challenge while seeing progress during the second half of the season.
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown’s praise for his recovering confidence around Singapore adds the team’s perspective. Piastri’s assessment remains centred on adaptation and the accumulated work needed to address the driving difficulties.
Learning more about the engineering partnership
Piastri also highlighted the value of understanding his engineering group. A more straightforward car can leave fewer problems exposed. Persistent difficulties demand clearer feedback from the driver and a better understanding among engineers of how to help him, deepening knowledge of each other’s working methods.
He hopes the experience will strengthen his response to future challenges. He wants to carry improved adaptability and collaboration into later races.
At publication, the official standings placed Piastri seventh, 94 points behind team-mate Lando Norris. That results gap helps explain why rebuilding competitiveness and returning to a title fight remain his objectives.
