Andrea Stella has spoke about what he believes is holing Oscar Piastri back in 2026. Image: XPB Images
Piastri has found this year’s MCL40 more difficult to master than its predecessor, with the change in Formula 1 regulations producing a package that has not played as readily to his strengths.
The difference has become increasingly apparent alongside Lando Norris, who sits 66 points ahead of Piastri in the drivers’ championship after building momentum through the most recent rounds.
Piastri remains seventh on 120 points and has not returned to the podium since Miami, with his latest weekend in Madrid ending in eighth after another difficult run.
McLaren team principal Stella believes part of the solution lies in making the car feel more intuitive for Piastri, reducing the amount of conscious adjustment required while he is driving.
“I think with Oscar we need to qualify better, stay closer to the podium finish positions from the start,” Stella said.
“In Monza he was P3 at the end of qualifying but somehow we managed to start P6 for the impeding. So there are several circumstances of which we need to take more control.
“We need to execute better and then at the same time we need to get more in tune between Oscar and the MCL40 because still Oscar is driving and thinking.
“And when you drive and think, things get slowed down; slower as a driver in terms of deciding what to do and ultimately you are slower in terms of lap times.”
Piastri has already acknowledged that adapting to McLaren’s latest car has required more work than he experienced last season.
Speaking before the Spanish Grand Prix, the 25-year-old said he had spent much of the campaign experimenting with different approaches in an attempt to find one that worked.
“I’ve certainly not gelled as well with this year’s car as last year,” he said.
“I think everyone has to change their driving style a bit from year to year – obviously that’s our job. That’s part of why we’re here is because we need to adapt.
“And definitely this year’s been a bit tricky in trying to get through a few things, and we’ve tried a few different directions. Sometimes you just need time to find the right one.”
Piastri felt progress had emerged at Monza, despite losing three grid positions for impeding Liam Lawson after qualifying third, saying McLaren had identified changes that helped him find more speed.
Madrid proved another setback, however, with Piastri already facing a difficult afternoon after qualifying before opening-lap contact with George Russell left him carrying front wing damage.
A poorly timed Virtual Safety Car then complicated McLaren’s strategy, with Piastri eventually finishing eighth after becoming stuck behind Franco Colapinto during the closing stages.
Nevertheless, he used the race to continue working through the difficulties he has encountered with the car.
“I think today we just tried to learn as much as I could to get more out of the car and the way I drive it,” Piastri said after the race.
“So yeah. Hopefully we’ve learnt a few things for the rest of the year.”
Stella said he remained confident that work will translate into improved performances over the remaining rounds, with qualifying execution and Piastri’s comfort in the car identified as two of McLaren’s main areas of focus.
“I think the agenda is very clear as to what we have to improve and I expect, like I always say, that we will get on top of that and we will see a stronger Oscar in the final part [of the year],” he added.
F1 returns with the Azerbaijan GP from September 24-26.