Oscar Piastri sampled Lewis Hamilton\u2019s 2008 title-winning McLaren \u2013 and it left him wondering if F1\u2019s future should look a little more like its past.<\/p>\n
Piastri<\/a> offered a telling \u201cI still get to call myself an F1 driver\u201d when asked for his favourite thing about F1 2026. He believes that trying to \u201crecapture\u201d some elements from that bygone era would be \u201cvery cool\u201d for the future of the sport.<\/p>\n Oscar Piastri reflects on Lewis Hamilton McLaren experience<\/p>\n Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Piastri \u2013 at a McLaren fan event \u2013 had the chance to get behind the wheel of the McLaren MP4\/23, which his predecessor Lewis Hamilton drove to title glory in 2008.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was cool. It\u2019s always fun to drive an old car,\u201d said Piastri, as he spoke in a Miami driver press conference alongside Nico H\u00fclkenberg and Sergio Perez.<\/p>\n \u201cThe noise was pretty special, a bit simpler and just the feeling you get from it is pretty cool.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s obviously a cool day for us as a team, but driving a naturally aspirated V8 was cool.\u201d<\/p>\n Formula 1 engines are a key topic for debate currently. The FIA opened an opportunity for tweaks<\/a> to the regulations, following a series of meetings in April.<\/p>\n While Hamilton is enjoying F1 2026, the majority of drivers have been left unimpressed with the battery management demands which come with the sport\u2019s new engines.<\/p>\n Piastri was asked for his favourite thing, and least favourite thing, about the current F1 era.<\/p>\n \u201cI still get to call myself an F1 driver\u2026 That\u2019s always a cool thing to say,\u201d he quipped.<\/p>\n \u201cThe least favourite thing\u2026 In all seriousness, driving a car from 2008 yesterday and seeing some of the cool cars from the past, I think trying to recapture some of those things would be very cool for the future.<\/p>\n \u201cAs to the product, I think clearly, we\u2019re making changes to try and improve it.\u201d<\/p>\n Latest F1 2026 talking points via PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n Drivers deliver their verdict on F1 2026 rule changes<\/a><\/p>\n Lando Norris fears F1 2026 racing will remain unchanged despite FIA tweaks<\/a><\/p>\n Formula 1 went for lighter, smaller and more nimble cars in 2026, with 30 kilograms lost compared to the departing ground effect machines.<\/p>\n H\u00fclkenberg played down the significance of that weight loss, so Piastri was asked how much weight he felt the cars need to shed for a difference to be felt.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, I don\u2019t know what weight the car I drove yesterday was,\u201d Piastri began. He was informed that 605 kilos was the minimum weight in 2008.<\/p>\n Piastri continued: \u201cBut realistically, to make a big difference the number needs to be probably 50 plus, probably closer to 100, in all honesty.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cars are still very heavy. I think if we could get it back into a figure starting with six, in the 600s somewhere, that would probably be good.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re never going to get back to 500s or high 500s. I think the only way you can get there is taking out the battery and making the engines simpler, but I don\u2019t think you necessarily need to do that.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cars last year we had in high-speed corners were probably some of the best we\u2019ve ever had. Granted, I know mine was probably the best of the lot, but I think you can achieve some of that realistically\u2026. I don\u2019t know the numbers of the weight of the engine and stuff, but if we had a simpler engine then you could easily take out quite a bit of weight, I think.<\/p>\n \u201cBut whether that\u2019s actually beneficial for the sport, is a completely different question.\u201d<\/p>\n The current engine formula is due to remain in place until the end of 2030.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n