Piastri misses pressure of F1 title fight as McLaren targets Red Bull

Oscar Piastri says he misses the pressure that comes with fighting for the Formula 1 title, even as his focus shifts to helping McLaren finish ahead of Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.

The Australian was a title contender last season, leading the drivers’ standings for much of the campaign before ending third behind team-mate Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. This year has brought a very different challenge: Piastri is seventh with three races remaining and has yet to score a podium finish or win.

Piastri says the title fight’s pressure is part of the appeal

Piastri described his feelings as mixed. He wants to contest a championship every season, he said, but acknowledged that the current campaign has been less stressful because he is not in contention. That absence is not something he welcomes: he misses the pressure because it comes from pursuing the goal he wants most.

McLaren has struggled to reproduce the pace it showed over the previous two seasons under Formula 1’s new rules. Piastri said the car had been difficult to drive from the outset and remains so, while the team took time to identify what needed changing. Making those changes has also proved challenging, though he believes progress is being made gradually.

That development was visible in Brazil, where Norris won at Interlagos with an upgraded car featuring a front wing intended to make it more predictable. Piastri, meanwhile, recovered to sixth after being eliminated in Q2. McLaren’s latest front-wing work is also covered in this look at the new design.

McLaren’s constructors’ fight becomes the priority

McLaren now sits fourth in the teams’ standings, 17 points behind Red Bull. Piastri said closing that gap is the main objective for the rest of the season. He acknowledged it would be difficult, but believes it is achievable, pointing to the step forward he felt the car made during the Brazilian weekend.

The team’s 2026 form has put a sharp focus on the gap to its rivals; read more in this assessment of McLaren’s season deficit.

Piastri also confirmed on Monday that he and manager Mark Webber had parted ways. Webber, the former Red Bull driver, had guided Piastri’s career since his junior days.

The next opportunity to make up ground comes in Las Vegas next week. For Piastri, the target is now clear: help McLaren overhaul Red Bull before the season ends, even if the title fight he longs for remains out of reach this year.