McLaren backs Oscar Piastri as slump continues

McLaren boss Andrea Stella insists Oscar Piastri’s recent dip in form has nothing to do with technical issues, dismissing rumours that the Australian’s chassis could be at fault.

“All the evidence and data indicate there are no issues with the car,” Stella told reporters after Piastri finished only fifth in Mexico, continuing a sudden downturn in performance.

“We have no reason to suspect otherwise,” he said. “In F1 history, people sometimes talk about swapping chassis, but I’d rather replace other components, the floor, the front wing. Parts rotate naturally, so we’re confident there’s nothing wrong.”

Instead, Stella said Piastri’s challenge lies in adapting to the unique conditions at recent circuits. “More than confidence, it’s about the situation here in Mexico,” he explained.

“Oscar still needs to adapt his driving style a bit. We’ve added new tools to his toolbox, and he learns quickly. It’s a shame we were in traffic, it was damage limitation.”

Piastri himself admitted he is struggling to regain the rhythm that defined his early-season dominance and can’t quite explain why. “I’ve had to make adjustments over the last few weekends,” he said.

“When your driving style has worked for 18 races, it’s difficult to understand why it suddenly doesn’t. On Saturday it became clear I needed to change a few things,” added Piastri, who qualified only eighth. “The race was about learning and limiting the damage, but when your teammate wins and you’re fifth, it’s not great.”

He rejected suggestions that his confidence has taken a knock. “No, I just had to drive differently,or I’m not driving as differently as I should have,” he said. “That was difficult to wrap my head around. The tyres needed a different style. The car hasn’t changed, Lando’s probably found it easier to adapt. I just have to get that under control again.”

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes the mental dynamic between the two McLaren drivers has shifted since mid-season, when Piastri was being called ‘ice boy’ and Norris’ resilience was under scrutiny.

“Zandvoort was definitely a turning point for Norris,” Schumacher said. “He realised he could be faster if he relaxed. I think he’s now developed his own training routine that helps him.”