Piastri admits struggling to find flow in new F1 cars

Oscar Piastri has said he has not been in a state of flow for most of the 2026 Formula 1 season as he adapts to the new-generation cars. The McLaren driver is yet to win a grand prix this year, while team-mate Lando Norris has taken three victories, leaving Piastri 94 points behind him after the São Paulo round.

Piastri said adapting to the new power units was a major reset, and that once the rules eased, he and the team turned their attention to the handling of the MCL40, which he described as quite different from previous cars. He added that racing has also changed without DRS, with drivers now needing to spread their energy and focus across more areas.

His podiums in Japan and Miami remain his only top-three finishes of the season. Piastri said that when athletes perform at their best, they are not thinking about what they are doing, a feeling he says he has not had for most of the year.