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McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has attributed Oscar Piastri's current struggles to a driving style that is incompatible with the new generation of Formula 1 cars.
It might seem a distant memory, but just seven months ago, Piastri was a world championship contender at the Abu Dhabi finale. However, Formula 1 has since transitioned to smaller, more agile cars where energy management is crucial for performance. As a result, the McLaren driver currently sits sixth in the standings with 82 points, while his teammate and reigning champion Lando Norris has 97.
The contrast is particularly stark in qualifying, where Norris has dominated Piastri 9-1 since the April break (including sprint qualifying sessions), with an average gap of 0.099 seconds between them. The Australian has qualified seventh in all qualifying sessions since Canada, with the sole exception of an eighth-place finish in the main qualifying session at the British Grand Prix.
“I think drivers talk about the new generation of cars requiring a certain driving style. Essentially, if you just try to drive too cleanly, the lap time doesn't come. You have to attack the car, accept that it slides, you have to be extremely active,” Stella told Sky Sports Germany. “This is a driving style that is more natural for Lando than for Oscar. We are working with Oscar to ensure his natural approach to driving takes these characteristics into account. We have seen this with other teammates, like Antonelli and Russell, sometimes Hamilton and Leclerc. So, I think we will deal with this, and Oscar will be able to unleash his full talent,” he added.
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