Oscar Piastri reveals driving adjustments to overcome recent performance drop. Oscar Piastri explains how he had to adapt his driving style to address a strange performance drop.

Oscar Piastri has admitted to facing a challenging drop in performance in recent Formula 1 races, forcing him to change his driving style to remain in contention with teammate Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship. The Australian driver, who led the standings for most of the season, saw Lando Norris overtake him by just one point following a dominant performance at the Mexican Grand Prix. Oscar Piastri described his difficulties as a “strange” problem, acknowledging the need to adapt his approach behind the wheel.

At the Mexican GP, Oscar Piastri finished fifth after qualifying eighth, while Norris controlled the race from start to finish. The last podium for Oscar Piastri came at Monza, and his last win was at Zandvoort. After the Dutch Grand Prix, he had held a 34-point lead over Norris, which has now completely reversed in favor of the British driver.

Experimenting to find the right feel

In Mexico, Piastri experimented extensively with the car to find the best balance. He explained, “The most important thing was trying to learn what I needed to learn. After qualifying, it became clear that there were some aspects of my driving that I had to change quite radically. The race was mostly about damage limitation, but also about trying to understand some things better.”

The car hasn’t changed, Oscar Piastri has

Since McLaren’s development of the MCL39 has largely paused, it is unclear why Oscar Piastri’s issues appeared only in the last few races. Some suggested a psychological factor, while others pointed to the characteristics of the last two tracks as particularly challenging.

Oscar Piastri admitted, “I had to drive very differently in the last two weekends, or perhaps I didn’t when I should have. It was a bit strange because I drove the same way I had all year. But in these recent races, the car, the tires, or both required a different style, and I didn’t adapt enough.”

He continued, “So I tried a few things, changing my approach slightly. Once I analyze whether these adjustments are effective, I hope to see some progress. The car hasn’t changed in a while, so it has nothing to do with the vehicle itself.”

Reflecting on the performance gap, Oscar Piastri noted, “It’s clear from recent races that Lando found an easier way to adapt. But it’s important to remember that for the other 19 races, my driving style worked very well. It’s more about adding a few tools to my ‘toolbox’ rather than reinventing myself from scratch.”