Piastri says McLaren MCL40 demands constant manhandling

Oscar Piastri has explained that he has to "manhandle" his McLaren F1 car to extract performance in a difficult 2026 season. He has not finished on the podium since the Miami Grand Prix in May, and his average finish from 15 races since then is 7.1, while team-mate Lando Norris has taken four poles and won three grands prix in the same period.

Piastri said the lighter, smaller 2026 cars twitch through corners and need constant micro-corrections, unlike the high-downforce ground-effect cars of 2025. He described the MCL40 as a car that must be driven at close to 100 per cent to be quick, but said it has the potential to be a race winner if the issues can be sorted, with finding that limit proving incredibly tough.

Piastri added that he could listen more to the 2025 car, which felt easier to drive at around 110 per cent, whereas the current car loses time quickly whenever he is not at full commitment.