Oscar Piastri’s difficulties adapting to McLaren’s 2026 Formula 1 car have been described as “painful to witness” by F1 expert Martin Brundle, highlighting the Australian driver’s struggles this season. Despite a promising campaign in 2025 where Piastri contended strongly for the world championship, his current performance has not matched expectations amid challenges with the new car.

Piastri, who is currently seventh in the driver standings, faced another challenging weekend at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, finishing seventh and trailing the winner by 52 seconds. His teammate Lando Norris, who sits sixth, has also faced recent difficulties, failing to reach the podium in the last four races. Meanwhile, Italian Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli is poised to secure his first world championship title, with a lead of 221 points over Piastri heading into the Mexico Grand Prix.

Brundle pointed out that Piastri has yet to find a rhythm with the 2026 McLaren, explaining that the Australian driver “simply can’t seem to jell with the 2026 cars,” a situation that has been hard to watch after his impressive last season. In 2025, Piastri led the championship for 15 consecutive rounds and held a 34-point lead before finishing third overall behind Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

McLaren’s difficulties are not isolated to Piastri’s side, as Norris also described the MCL40—the team’s 2026 car—as “easily the hardest car I’ve ever driven.” Both drivers have acknowledged the car’s handling challenges, attributing some of their struggles to its performance characteristics.

Looking ahead to the Mexico Grand Prix, Piastri noted potential obstacles due to the circuit’s low grip and high altitude, which may exacerbate the team’s difficulties. “We will review what we can from Austin to take into the weekend,” he said, emphasizing the team’s intent to continue pushing for improved performance and lap times despite the challenges.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has committed to introducing further upgrades for the remaining races of the season. However, he indicated that any improvements for Mexico would be limited, with more substantial updates expected at the Brazilian and Las Vegas Grands Prix.

With the season winding down and many teams already shifting focus to 2027, McLaren aims to maximize its competitiveness in the final rounds, hoping to regain form after a disappointing start to the year for both Piastri and Norris.