Andrea Stella says the 2026 car demands aggressive driving.
Oscar Piastri’s struggles in 2026 may have more to do with the McLaren MCL40 than his driving ability. According to team principal Andrea Stella, the car demands a much more aggressive driving style, forcing Piastri to abandon the smooth, precise approach that made him so competitive in 2025.
The explanation reframes a difficult season for the Australian. Rather than pointing to a loss of talent or form, McLaren is placing the issue squarely on how the MCL40 behaves and what it asks of the person behind the wheel. It is a notable position for a team principal to take publicly, and it says a lot about how McLaren is reading the situation internally.
Why the MCL40 Demands a More Aggressive Driving Style
Stella’s central argument is that the MCL40 does not reward the kind of driving Piastri has built his reputation on. In 2025, the Australian was widely recognised for his smooth, precise and measured style, one that allowed him to extract speed from the car without overworking it. That approach helped make him a consistent frontrunner and a genuine contender throughout the season.
The 2026 car, however, asks for something different. Stella says it requires a far more aggressive approach from its driver. For Piastri, that means moving away from the instincts that served him so well and learning to drive the car in a way that does not come naturally to him.
Stella Says the Problem Is Technical, Not a Lack of Talent
The most important part of McLaren’s message is its framing. According to the team, Piastri’s difficulties are technical rather than a question of ability. In other words, the team does not believe it is dealing with a driver who has lost his edge. It believes it is dealing with a driver whose natural strengths do not line up with the demands of this particular car.
That distinction matters. A talent problem is difficult to solve, while a technical mismatch can be addressed through understanding, adaptation and development. By locating the issue in the interaction between driver and machine, McLaren is signalling that it sees a clear path forward, even if that path takes time.
It also protects Piastri’s standing within the team. By publicly separating his performance from his underlying ability, Stella is reinforcing that McLaren still has confidence in the driver it considered a title contender only a year ago.
How Lando Norris Has Adapted Better to the MCL40
Teammate Lando Norris has handled the transition more successfully. According to the report, Norris has adapted better to the demands of the MCL40, which has highlighted the contrast between the two McLaren drivers this season.
That comparison is inevitable inside a team with two drivers in the same machinery. When one driver finds the car easier to work with than the other, the gap naturally draws attention. McLaren’s explanation, though, is that the difference reflects driving style and how each driver’s natural approach fits the car, rather than a gap in raw ability between the two.
What Piastri’s Smooth Style Delivered in 2025
To understand why the change is so significant, it helps to look at what made Piastri effective last year. His smooth and precise driving was a defining part of his identity as a driver, and it was central to his competitiveness in 2025. Those same qualities are now being challenged by a car that does not reward them in the same way.
Asking a driver to move away from a proven style is no small request. Driving technique is built over years and becomes instinctive, so modifying it means working against habits that feel natural. The challenge for Piastri is to keep the qualities that make him quick while adding the aggression the MCL40 demands.
That is a delicate balance, and it explains why McLaren is treating the matter as something to be worked through carefully rather than a quick fix.
What Comes Next for Piastri and McLaren
For McLaren, the message is that the situation is understood and can be addressed. The team believes Piastri’s struggles have identifiable technical causes, and that gives it something concrete to work on with its driver. Stella’s comments suggest the focus is on helping Piastri adapt to what the car needs rather than questioning whether he belongs at the front.
For Piastri, the task is clear, even if it is not easy. He must find a way to bring a more aggressive edge to his driving without losing the precision that has defined him. If he can do that, McLaren’s view is that the results will follow.
Whether the adaptation arrives quickly enough to change the shape of Piastri’s season remains to be seen. What is clear is that McLaren is publicly backing its driver and pointing to the car, not his talent, as the root of the problem. That stance will be tested over the remaining races, as the team and driver work to close the gap between a smooth, precise style and a car that demands attack.
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