McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has attributed Oscar Piastri's difficulties this season to a driving style that does not suit the new 2026 Formula 1 cars.
Piastri sits sixth in the drivers' standings with 82 points, behind team-mate Lando Norris on 97. Since the April break Norris has outqualified Piastri nine times to one, with an average margin of 0.099 seconds.
Stella told Sky Sport Germany that the 2026 cars reward a more aggressive approach. "If you just try to drive too clean, the lap time doesn't come," he said. "You have to attack the car, you have to accept that the car slides."
Piastri qualified seventh for the Belgian Grand Prix after an error at Stavelot, 0.215 seconds behind Norris in third. He described the car as "very, very tough" to drive on the limit, noting particular challenges with the rear end in recent races.