‘Slowly getting there’: Piastri reveals what’s held him back this season
Oscar Piastri is slowly becoming comfortable in his McLaren, but he admits the strengths that put him in the title race last year are now his biggest weakness.
Piastri was not afraid to discuss his poor run of results ahead of the US Grand Prix, where he hopes to land on top of the podium for the first time this season.
Piastri’s highest finish this season was second place. Getty Images
It is a vastly different position for the Australian driver compared to last year, having sat first on the drivers’ championship standings with 336 points at this point in the season, while his teammate and eventual world champion Lando Norris was second.
Twelve months later, the McLaren duo are now sixth and seventh, with Norris claiming five podium finishes, including two victories, and Piastri securing two podium finishes, neither on the top step.
Sixty-three points separate Norris (sixth) and Piastri (seventh) on the standings.
While results have not fallen their way, Piastri believes he has almost settled and will be able to pose a threat across the American triple-header – being the US, Mexico and Sao Paulo Grands Prix.
“Definitely not still at the level I want to aspire to be at, but I’m back in the ballpark that I should be in,” he told reporters in Austin, Texas.
“It’s been no secret that this year has been challenging in terms of getting a grip on this year’s car. I feel like the last few weeks, it’s started to click a little bit more.
“I’m slowly getting there, both improving this year and also identifying what I need more of or less of to go quicker from the car.
“But this is not the level I want to be trying to get to. I want to be getting to a much higher level, but it’s a clear sign of progress, which is what I’m after.”
The mental battle that comes with a mixed bag of results has been well managed by Piastri, who recognised not everything can be a quick fix.
Even though the team has trialled different things with the car and also their strategy, Piastri made clear that “not a lot” has changed overall.
“We’ve been trying some things,” he continued.
“It’s been a lot of hard work in terms of how I adapt myself to the car because the things that were often working so well for me at points last year that are kind of the things that are my downfall in a lot of weekends this year.
“When you can’t rely on the things you normally want to, it is always challenging in terms of actually adapting, but also, when you’re used to something working for you for a long time, trying to go away from that, there’s a mental challenge.
“I feel like we’re making progress and things are starting to feel a little bit more comfortable, but there’s still room to go.”
The US Grand Prix will take place at 7am AEDT on Monday, with the first practice session scheduled to start at 4.30am on Saturday.
