Oscar Piastri has admitted that McLaren was only the fourth-fastest team at the 2026 United States Grand Prix, highlighting the growing difficulties surrounding the MCL40. The British team’s disappointing weekend in Austin ended with Lando Norris finishing fifth and Oscar Piastri seventh, as both drivers struggled to extract consistent performance from a car that has become increasingly difficult to drive at the limit.
The result reinforced concerns about McLaren’s declining competitiveness, with the team unable to convert its underlying potential into stronger results. The recent decline in McLaren’s championship performance has placed additional pressure on the team to understand why its 2026 car continues to struggle against its main rivals.
Oscar Piastri admits McLaren was fourth-fastest at Austin
Oscar Piastri offered a candid assessment of the team’s performance following the United States Grand Prix, explaining that the MCL40 remains particularly difficult to drive consistently over a single lap. Despite occasional signs of competitiveness, McLaren has struggled to find a reliable balance that allows its drivers to exploit the car’s maximum performance.
“At Austin, we were clearly the fourth-fastest team. On some occasions we manage to be competitive, but putting together a fast lap is extremely complicated. When we solve one problem, another immediately emerges. The upgrades haven’t made the car easier to drive, and that’s exactly what we need to work on,” Oscar Piastri explained.
The Australian’s comments underline the difficulties McLaren has encountered in translating its development work into more predictable handling characteristics. Although the team has continued introducing updates, those improvements have not resolved the problems its drivers experience when attempting to push the car to its limits.
The difficulties were already apparent during the Austin weekend, with McLaren appearing to fall behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull in the competitive order. The inconsistency of the MCL40 has made extracting its potential particularly challenging, especially during qualifying.
Andrea Stella identifies qualifying as McLaren’s biggest concern
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella also acknowledged the team’s difficulties, placing particular emphasis on its inability to secure sufficiently competitive grid positions. He believes the MCL40 still possesses the performance required to challenge for podium finishes, but starting too far down the order has repeatedly compromised its opportunities.
“The car has shown that it has the potential to fight for the podium, but starting so far back compromised our chances. We need to improve our single-lap performance and continue developing the car to return to consistently competing for the leading positions,” Andrea Stella explained.
The distinction between qualifying performance and race potential has become a central concern for McLaren. Even when the car demonstrates encouraging pace, its inconsistent behaviour makes it difficult for the drivers to deliver the complete laps required to start near the front. Following Austin, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s assessments of McLaren’s performance problems further highlighted the challenges facing the team.
With Lando Norris fifth and Oscar Piastri seventh in Austin, McLaren must now focus on improving the MCL40’s consistency and making its upgrades more effective. Unless the team can address its single-lap weaknesses and provide a more predictable car, returning to regular podium contention will remain a difficult task.
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