Oscar Piastri has yet to show in the results all the evolution expected for the 2026 Formula 1 season, according to the driver himself. Despite a first half of the season marked by ups and downs, the Australian believes he has taken important steps in development.
Piastri stated that McLaren’s performance fell short of the level set by the team last year. With no wins in the first eleven races, the driver sits seventh in the drivers’ standings with 102 points, while the team is third in the Constructors’ World Championship with 220 points.
The Australian highlighted that the challenges faced over the season contributed to his development: “Good results are one thing, but I feel I have also learned a lot about how I can improve as a driver, even if the results do not always show it,” he stated. According to him, the lessons learned on difficult weekends will be important for the rest of the championship.
Evaluating McLaren’s campaign, Piastri acknowledged that the team could not reproduce the level of competitiveness shown in 2025: “It was definitely a first half of the season with ups and downs. Our overall performance level wasn’t exactly where we would have liked. We came close to a few victories and earned some podiums, which was positive, but we set a very high standard last year,” he said.
Among the most positive moments of the year, Piastri pointed to the Japan and Miami Grands Prix for the results achieved. However, he particularly highlighted the comeback shown at the Austrian Grand Prix, when he finished fourth after starting seventh, just after a very difficult weekend at the Barcelona Grand Prix: “Barcelona was certainly one of the most challenging weekends of the year. I needed to learn a lot and improve a lot, and I felt that Austria was a great opportunity to put that learning into practice,” he added.
