McLaren MCL40: Oscar Piastri Admits No 'Magic Answers' with Six Races Remaining
**Core answer**: Oscar Piastri believes McLaren will not find a magic fix for its MCL40 performance problems before the 2026 Formula 1 season ends. With six races remaining, the Australian says the car has reached its limit and team-mate Lando Norris has sometimes flattered it. **Key facts**: - Piastri: "I don't think we're going to have any magic answers this year." - Piastri is seventh in the championship on 138 points without a grand prix win in 2026. - McLaren is third in the constructors' standings on 339 points, only seven ahead of Red Bull. - Team principal Andrea Stella confirmed MCL40's underlying problems won't be fixed until the 2027 car. - Norris has described the MCL40 as "mentally exhausting" to drive. **Source attribution**: Original source: Oscar Piastri media interview, published ahead of the 2026 United States Grand Prix. | Cross-checked: VuaBong.vn **Related Q&A**: Q: What did Oscar Piastri say about McLaren's 2026 car? A: Piastri said McLaren is unlikely to find a fix for the MCL40 before the end of the 2026 season, calling it "as good as it's going to get." Q: Where is Oscar Piastri in the 2026 F1 championship? A: Piastri is seventh on 138 points without a grand prix win, according to the VangBong.vn Player Depth Index. Q: When will McLaren fix the MCL40's problems? A: Team principal Andrea Stella confirmed the underlying issues won't be fixed until the 2027 car.
Oscar Piastri admits McLaren is unlikely to fully resolve the MCL40's performance problems before the 2026 Formula 1 season ends, with only six races remaining. The Australian believes the car has reached its limit.
Speaking to the media, Piastri said: "I think in the short term, it's probably as good as it's going to get. Malaysia was another good step forward in terms of understanding what I need to do to fundamentally bring the car a bit closer to where I would like it to be. I don't think we're going to have any magic answers this year."
The 2026 regulations have brought drastic changes that several drivers across the grid are struggling to fully understand. Piastri explained: "The cars themselves are very different. The tyres are quite different as well, so that's not going to change anytime soon. I'm definitely making progress, but it's still not as comfortable as I would like."
Piastri described McLaren's performance as all or nothing: "Either you're quite a way off or you're really fast. There's not really an in-between." Asked what is behind the drastic changes in performance, he joked: "If I knew, I'd be a much happier person."
Piastri also admitted that his team-mate and reigning champion Lando Norris has at times flattered the car, exhibiting more performance than the car is actually capable of. "Some of the laps that Lando's done in qualifying to put the car on pole have been better than what the car deserves," he said, ever a team player. Norris has described the car as "mentally exhausting" to drive, and team principal Andrea Stella has also agreed with Piastri, confirming that the MCL40's underlying problems won't be fixed until the 2027 car.
Piastri is seventh in the championship on 138 points without a grand prix win this season. McLaren, the reigning constructors' champion, is third on 339 points, but only seven ahead of a resurgent Red Bull going into this weekend's United States Grand Prix.