McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has linked Oscar Piastri’s difficulties to the demands of Formula 1’s new 2026 cars, suggesting the Australian’s natural approach behind the wheel is not currently the best fit for the latest machinery. Stella’s assessment points to driving style, rather than a simple loss of form, as a key reason for the challenges.
According to the account, Piastri has been "too clean" in the way he drives, a trait that may usually be seen as a strength but can become a limitation with cars that require a different kind of input. Stella’s comments indicate that the 2026 regulations have changed the balance of what drivers need to extract lap time, making adaptation especially important.
The explanation offers a more technical view of Piastri’s struggles at McLaren. Instead of framing the issue around confidence or pace alone, Stella appears to believe the problem lies in how the car responds to certain driving habits and how quickly a driver can adjust to those characteristics.
That puts the focus on development and adaptation as the season moves forward. If Stella’s reading is correct, Piastri’s path back to stronger results may depend on reshaping parts of his technique to better suit the behavior of Formula 1’s new generation of cars.
