TECHNICAL WOES EXPOSED: MCLAREN CLARIFY OSCAR PIASTRI’S US GP PERFORMANCE DIP
Why was Oscar Piastri so slow in the US? McLaren chief Andrea Stella reveals the key reasons behind the Aussie's surprising lack of pace at the Circuit of the Americas.
At the United States Grand Prix this weekend, Oscar Piastri's unusually slow pace can be explained by "a few aspects", according to McLaren Formula 1 team principal Andrea Stella.
During both qualifying sessions and free practice, Piastri was three tenths behind teammate Lando Norris, which was one of his worst one-lap speed drives of the season.
As the weekend progresses, Piastri has not made his typical progress, and Stella reinforced the championship leader's lament about a lack of faith in the car due to its volatility.
"In almost every session, Oscar has lagged behind Lando by a few tenths, but in practice, we are accustomed to seeing an Oscar that catches up and improves over the weekend," the Italian said. This is what has been lacking thus far, if anything.
However, the event has been a little messy because Oscar had to regain his confidence after missing the sprint [because of the first-lap collision], pushing the car when there was little grip, bumps, heat, and wind. To find out how much you can push, you must become in sync with your vehicle.
"Today the car needs to be driven near the limit of locking the four tyres," stated Oscar, echoing an intriguing statement made by Lando. For example, you will not create a lap time if you simply drive too gently because you cannot handle a wind gust, or you simply wish to drive sensibly. You have to sort of rely on the edge. Additionally, you must have a specific rhythm and confidence if you lean toward the edge.
Since it is so close, a few tenths may cost five spots on the grid. If anything, this is the element that Oscar's team is lacking. Therefore, I believe we see some rhythm for Oscar, but we also see the consequences of the field being so close at this point in the season.
Due to his difficulties, Piastri finished in a pitiful sixth place on the starting grid today, which is his second-lowest position this season after Baku, where he crashed in the third qualifying round.
The title race is more competitive than it has been in a long time because the Australian has only scored 27 points since the beginning of September, while championship rivals Norris and Verstappen have scored 39 and 76 points, respectively.
Piastri, however, denied that his teammate's performance was improving.
"This has been difficult for me; I do not think I have made any significant errors, or, from a driving perspective, it has just not clicked," he remarked. "I have not been driving too much; I just have not been very at ease in the vehicle. " I believe that this weekend has been like that, but I do not believe the last few have been like that.
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
