By Andrew Clarke
Date posted: 23 October 2026
Oscar Piastri says his recent improvement has brought him closer to the level he expects of himself, although the Australian believes there is considerably more performance to find.
Speaking at the FIA press conference ahead of the United States Grand Prix at Austin, Piastri acknowledged comments from McLaren CEO Zak Brown that the team was finally seeing the driver who impressed last season.
“The last triple header was more in line with where I wanted to be,” Piastri said.
“It’s certainly not at the level I want to be at yet, but it’s in line with where I should be.”
The Australian explained that adapting to this year’s McLaren had been particularly difficult because driving techniques that previously worked in his favour were now creating problems.
“The things that worked well last year are the things that have hurt me on many weekends this year,” he said.
“When you can’t rely on the things you normally want to rely on, it’s always difficult, both in terms of adapting, but also when you’re used to something that’s worked for you for a long time, trying to escape from that is a mental challenge.”
Red Bull sets the benchmark
Piastri expects another difficult weekend at the Circuit of The Americas, despite McLaren bringing developments it hopes will improve the car.
He believes Red Bull’s recent upgrades have transformed its competitiveness, with Ferrari also proving stronger than McLaren at Singapore.
“In these few months, Red Bull has become the fastest and most consistent car,” Piastri said.
He added that McLaren still lacked performance compared with its rivals, although Austin’s combination of high and low-speed corners could provide opportunities to exploit the car’s strengths.
Piastri also backed McLaren’s handling of the situation following Singapore, saying Brown and team principal Andrea Stella had dealt with matters appropriately.
“I’m happy with the way things were handled. I think the team, Zak and Andrea, handled things as they should,” he said.
“We’re still in the mix and hopefully we can find some performance in the rest of the season.”
Piastri praises Antonelli
Piastri also praised Kimi Antonelli’s progress this season, describing the Italian’s adaptation to the latest Formula 1 machinery as impressive.
“The transition he’s made this season has been very impressive,” Piastri said.
“I think he’s done a good job adapting to the necessary characteristics of these cars.”
Asked about the possibility of Middle Eastern races being replaced because of regional tensions, Piastri joked that Australia would be a suitable alternative.
“The weather in Australia is good right now, so I wouldn’t be unhappy with that,” he said.
However, he stressed that any decision would be left to Formula 1 and the FIA.
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