McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has said Oscar Piastri is still getting to grips with F1 2026 machinery, given the difference in nature between the cars of yesteryear.
The 2026 cars were designed with lower downforce in mind, with narrower tyres also in place alongside active aerodynamics and a near 50-50 split in internal combustion and electrical power.
Oscar Piastri still adapting to F1 2026 McLaren – Stella
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Piastri led half of the Hungarian Grand Prix at the weekend and, while he holds two podium finishes this season, the start of his season was hindered with two DNSs in a row, one self-inflicted in Melbourne before an electrical issue in China saw neither McLaren start.
He has registered two finishes outside the points this season and, following his late retirement in Budapest, heads into the summer break without a podium in seven races.
His McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, took victory in Hungary after he completed a successful overcut on the Australian, helped by Piastri’s mid-race contact with Carlos Sainz while coming up to lap him.
That ultimately proved immaterial given his retirement later in the race, but Stella believes Piastri will improve in the second half of the season once he further understands how to make the most of the current machinery.
“I think we have seen a great trajectory of development for Lando, and this is honestly the same with Oscar as well,” Stella told PlanetF1.com and others in Hungary.
“Oscar is still getting in tune with these 2026 cars, low grip cars, and there’s an opportunity there to find some pace, and there’s great work happening between Oscar, his engineering team, and the wider team of Oscar.
“So, I think we will see a very strong Oscar for the second part of the season.”
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Piastri was at Portimao with McLaren, Norris and reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli for a Testing of a Previous Car [TPC] outing on Wednesday, notching laps before the team takes its summer break.
For the Australian, it was the chance to clock 55 laps at a circuit on which he has not yet driven in Formula 1 machinery, as Portugal prepares itself to return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2027.
“This was my first time driving the F1 circuit in Portimao,” he said after his running.
“The changing conditions made it an interesting place to drive, and the elevation changes made it really fun. We got through the entire programme we set out to do, and the team are happy.
“It’s a good point to pause for the summer shutdown. It’s been a pretty intense season for us, so it will be nice for everyone to switch off before we get back to it.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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