As Motorsport.com reports, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has delivered a blunt assessment of his team's prospects, admitting that there will likely be no fix for the MCL40's performance problems before the end of the 2026 season. With only six races remaining, the Australian believes the machine has simply reached its absolute limit.
"I think in the short term, it's probably as good as it's going to get," Piastri told the media. He noted that Malaysia was another good step forward in terms of understanding what he needs to do to fundamentally bring the car closer to his preferences, but added, "I don't think we're going to have any magic answers this year."
Some of the laps that Lando's done in qualifying to put the car on pole have been better than what the car deserves,
The 2026 regulations have brought drastic changes that drivers across the grid are struggling to fully grasp. Piastri pointed out that the cars and the tyres are very different, noting that these factors will not change anytime soon. While he is definitely making progress, he admitted it is still not as comfortable as he would like.
Describing the team's performance as an all-or-nothing affair, Piastri explained that you are either quite a way off or really fast, with no real in-between. When asked what drives these drastic swings, he joked that if he knew, he would be a much happier person. He also praised his team-mate and reigning champion Lando Norris, admitting that Norris has at times flattered the car by pulling out more performance than it actually deserves.
"Some of the laps that Lando's done in qualifying to put the car on pole have been better than what the car deserves," Piastri said. Norris has previously described the car as mentally exhausting to drive. Furthermore, team principal Andrea Stella has agreed with Piastri, confirming that the underlying problems with the MCL40 will not be resolved until the 2027 car.
Heading into this weekend's United States Grand Prix, Piastri sits seventh in the championship on 138 points without a grand prix win this season. Meanwhile, reigning constructors' champion McLaren stands third on 339 points, holding a precarious advantage of only seven points ahead of a resurgent Red Bull.
