Oscar Piastri acknowledged that his first half of the 2026 Formula 1 season fell short of expectations. The Australian stated that he experienced ‘more lows than highs’ in a season marked by difficulties for him and McLaren.
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Piastri entered the new technical regulations cycle just months after narrowly missing the chance to win his first title in the category. However, the start of the campaign was particularly challenging, as he did not complete a single race lap in the first two rounds and only effectively got into action in the third round.
“There have been ups and downs, for sure. Probably more downs than ups, unfortunately,” Piastri told the press. The driver also acknowledged that McLaren’s performance was far from what was expected compared to last season: “As a team, obviously it wasn’t the first half of the year we wanted, especially compared to last year. I hope the second half of the year can be better,” he said.
After the turbulent start, Piastri managed two podiums in the following rounds but has not finished in the top three since third place at the Miami GP. In Hungary, he even contested the win before losing the lead to his teammate, Lando Norris, during the pit stop sequence when he encountered problems with a backmarker.
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The Australian also retired from the Hungarian race, ending the first half of the championship frustratingly. Even so, Piastri believes he can show improvement in the rest of the season and seeks greater consistency in his performance.
“For me, there have also been some good moments, some not so good moments, and pretty much everything in between. I want to improve and be a bit more consistent at my best level, and I hope we can do that in the second half of the year,” concluded the Australian driver.
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