Piastri sees final races as key to McLaren’s 2027 development

McLaren’s MCL40 is faster than it was before Austin, Oscar Piastri says, but the United States Grand Prix was still a step back. Speaking in Mexico City ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, he described the remaining races as an important period for finding answers for McLaren’s 2027 car.

McLaren is rolling out its final 2026 update package in stages. Austin brought new front-suspension geometry and rear-diffuser tweaks, with more elements still to come; the team has not yet fully assessed whether the package raises the car’s performance ceiling. Piastri said the triple-header before Austin had been a positive step.

Piastri said he and Lando Norris are struggling with a car that is sensitive to more than bumps and has a narrow operating range. Wind and bumps add to the difficulty, while lower downforce and the tyres are among several contributing factors. He said it may only become clear next year whether the issue is specific to McLaren.

McLaren is level with Red Bull on 355 points in the constructors’ standings but ranks fourth because Red Bull has more wins, with the Singapore sprint taken into account. Piastri is out of the drivers’ title fight, yet wants to start 2027 with as many answers as possible and hopes McLaren can produce a car capable of fighting for the championship again.