Piastri on his tough 2026 and why it could make him stronger

McLaren's Oscar Piastri has reflected on a challenging 2026 Formula 1 season, admitting that adapting to the team's MCL40 car and new regulations has required significant changes to his natural driving style. After fighting for the title in 2025, the Australian driver has faced a steep learning curve this year, marked by early DNFs and difficulties in finding peak performance through pure instinct alone. Despite the hurdles, Piastri feels he is making positive progress during the second half of the season, a view echoed by McLaren CEO Zak Brown following a strong performance in Singapore. Piastri believes that overcoming these technical challenges will ultimately make him a more complete driver and help set him up for future success as McLaren works hard to return to the front of the grid.