Piastri sees progress with McLaren’s 2026 car but remains short of his target

Oscar Piastri says adapting to McLaren’s 2026 car is beginning to click, but he is still short of the level he wants. Asked ahead of the United States Grand Prix about Zak Brown’s view at the Singapore GP that he was returning to his best, Piastri agreed, saying the Azerbaijan–Malaysia–Singapore triple-header had brought him closer to his target.

Piastri said techniques that had worked well for him at points in 2025 had become a weakness on many weekends in 2026. Adapting to the car and leaving behind familiar habits was difficult, he said, and brought an almost mental challenge.

He had already reached the podium in Japan and Miami this year. The latest triple-header began with a late lock-up that left him 13th in Baku; he then finished sixth in Kuala Lumpur and fifth in Singapore.

Austin opens the final six rounds of the season, scheduled across seven weekends. Piastri said he was still identifying what he needed from the MCL40 to go quicker. He described the recent gains as progress, but said he wants to reach a much higher level than where he is now.