23 October 2026 09:15 (UTC)
The Australian believes his recent progress can translate into stronger results across the final six rounds
Oscar Piastri has opened up on the challenges of adapting to Formula 1’s new generation of cars, explaining how he has had to rethink the driving techniques that brought him seven victories and a World Drivers' Championship challenge last year.
The Australian enjoyed podium finishes in Japan and Miami but has endured an up-and-down 2026 overall after a significant overhaul of F1's technical regulations.
However, both he and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown believe he is returning to his best and that the form he showed for much of last season will soon follow in the final six rounds of the year.
"I think he is [back to his best]... I’m liking what I’m seeing out of Oscar,” Zak said during last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. “He’s feeling more confident and on top of things. I like where both our drivers are now."
Asked about his boss’s comments ahead of this weekend’s US Grand Prix, Oscar said he agrees, explaining that his increasing confidence follows the last triple-header that took us to Azerbaijan, Malaysia and Singapore.
In Baku, Oscar was in line for a podium finish before a late lock-up dropped him to P13, but he bounced back to finish P6 in Kuala Lumpur and P5 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, and is in a bullish mood ahead of the United States Grand Prix.
The race in Austin kicks off a packed schedule of six rounds over seven weekends to end the campaign.
“Certainly, it [my best] was hard to find for a while, but I feel like the last triple-header was definitely more back to where I wanted to be,” Oscar said. “I am definitely still not at the level I aspire to be at, but back in the ballpark that I should be in.
“So, yes, it's been no secret that this year has been challenging in terms of getting a grip on this year's car. But I feel like over the last few weeks, it's started to click a little bit more. It's still very challenging, but we're finding a way.
“I feel like I'm slowly getting there and both improving this year and also identifying what I need more of or less of to go quicker from the car. We're getting there. But this is not a level I want to be trying to get to. I want to be getting to a much higher level than where I'm at. But it's a clear sign of progress, which is what I'm after.”
Oscar’s comments underline the progress made in recent weeks, with the Australian working hard to understand the characteristics of the MCL40 and adapt his driving style to extract more performance.
With six rounds remaining, the focus is now on translating that progress into consistent results and giving both drivers a car capable of fighting at the front.
“There's been a lot of hard work in terms of how I adapt myself to the car, because the things that were working so well for me at points last year are kind of the things that are my downfall on a lot of weekends this year,” he adds.
“So, when you can't rely on the things that you normally want to rely on, it is always challenging, both in terms of actually adapting but also when you've been used to something working for you for a long time, trying to move away from that.
“There's almost a mental challenge to that as well. So, yes, I feel like we're making progress and things are starting to feel a little bit more comfortable, but there's still room to go.”
Oscar and Lando are both hoping to earn our second victory at the Circuit of the Americas and follow in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton, who won the first race here in 2012.
A modest selection of upgrades have been made to the MCL40, aimed at improving some braking reliability and performance issues, while the team believe this circuit will play more to our strengths.
“I still believe wins are possible, we just need a car that is quicker now if we just want a win. So I am working on it,” says Lando, who has three Pole positions and two wins this season.
“I am trying. It is just that the car was quicker then [middle of the season] than it has been for the past few weeks.
“We have not been that close since then, but that is not through anything other than the car has not been to the standard that it needs to be. But I still believe it is possible. I believe we can get another Pole position, and we can get a win this season.”
