{"id":937796,"date":"2026-10-23T06:20:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T06:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/937796\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T06:20:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T06:20:16","slug":"oscar-piastri-admits-mclaren-still-short-of-f1-pace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/937796\/","title":{"rendered":"Oscar Piastri admits McLaren still short of F1 pace"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Oscar<\/p>\n

By Andrew Clarke<\/p>\n

Date posted: 23 October 2026<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last triple header was more in line with where I wanted to be,\u201d Piastri said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s certainly not at the level I want to be at yet, but it\u2019s in line with where I should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Australian explained that adapting to this year\u2019s McLaren had been particularly difficult because driving techniques that previously worked in his favour were now creating problems.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe things that worked well last year are the things that have hurt me on many weekends this year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you can\u2019t rely on the things you normally want to rely on, it\u2019s always difficult, both in terms of adapting, but also when you\u2019re used to something that\u2019s worked for you for a long time, trying to escape from that is a mental challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Bull sets the benchmark<\/p>\n

Piastri expects another difficult weekend at the Circuit of The Americas, despite McLaren bringing developments it hopes will improve the car.<\/p>\n

He believes Red Bull\u2019s recent upgrades have transformed its competitiveness, with Ferrari also proving stronger than McLaren at Singapore.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn these few months, Red Bull has become the fastest and most consistent car,\u201d Piastri said.<\/p>\n

He added that McLaren still lacked performance compared with its rivals, although Austin\u2019s combination of high and low-speed corners could provide opportunities to exploit the car\u2019s strengths.<\/p>\n

Piastri also backed McLaren\u2019s handling of the situation following Singapore, saying Brown and team principal Andrea Stella had dealt with matters appropriately.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m happy with the way things were handled. I think the team, Zak and Andrea, handled things as they should,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still in the mix and hopefully we can find some performance in the rest of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Piastri praises Antonelli<\/p>\n

Piastri also praised Kimi Antonelli\u2019s progress this season, describing the Italian\u2019s adaptation to the latest Formula 1 machinery as impressive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe transition he\u2019s made this season has been very impressive,\u201d Piastri said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s done a good job adapting to the necessary characteristics of these cars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked about the possibility of Middle Eastern races being replaced because of regional tensions, Piastri joked that Australia would be a suitable alternative.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe weather in Australia is good right now, so I wouldn\u2019t be unhappy with that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

However, he stressed that any decision would be left to Formula 1 and the FIA.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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