The number 2 in the world talks like this about the regulation change and the changes to the single-seaters: “When exiting the corners there is more power and less grip, but the initial fears have been reduced”
There is no time to think about the past in 2026 which presents Australian Oscar Piastri with a fundamental test for his career in Formula 1. The twenty-four year old from McLaren, who was at the top of the world rankings for a long time last season, saw his teammate Lando Norris triumph in the last race in Abu Dhabi, thus emerging defeated by the internal challenge of the papaya brothers. Now, however, for Piastri, and for all his opponents on the grid, the exciting challenge of a regulatory change is about to begin which promises a real revolution in Formula 1: “Last season obviously didn’t end as I would have liked – admitted the Australian in the meeting with the press before the start of the championship – but the winter break helped me to reflect on the year I experienced as a whole”. And the picture, the Australian underlines, is not entirely negative: “It’s easy to be influenced by the ending but taking a step back I saw how much 2025 was better than my first two years in Formula 1”.
total change
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Now for Piastri it will be decisive to focus on the new regulations and quickly understand this new generation of cars: “They are very different cars compared to the last generation, even visually. They are a little smaller, which is positive, and from the front they seem more agile. The sound is slightly different, but substantially similar. From a driving point of view there are important differences related to the engines. It was nice to be able to drive them in Barcelona: going out on the track and discovering that it is still a Formula 1 was reassuring. We drivers certainly have to adapt to the change: the way in which the power is used, the fact that out of corners there is more power and less grip, or that we will have to manage elements such as lift and coast or clipping. In the end it remains a fast car, with some obvious differences.” What surprised everyone in the first days on the track in Barcelona was the reliability that the newborn engines immediately demonstrated: “Seeing more teams exceed one hundred laps a day was very positive. Entering a new regulation with this level of reliability is important, because no one wants championships decided by who reaches the finish line or not.” What Piastri is quite sure of is that Formula 1 will not lose its identity with these changes: “There will be new things to get used to, but many initial fears have been put to rest. The cars will remain incredibly fast and impressive.”
future
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After a first taste on the track in Barcelona, the drivers will return to driving in tests in Bahrain starting on February 11: “In the next sessions we will have to work on how the various components influence the car as a whole. It is a very different car from those I have driven so far and the learning curve is very steep.” The most important thing for Piastri will be to arrive at his home GP, at his seasonal debut in Melbourne, in great shape: “It will be nice for me to return to racing at home, especially after the great support I have received over the last year.” And in 2026 Oscar will not miss the lessons learned on the track amidst great satisfaction and profound difficulties: “In recent years I have managed to be more complete between qualifying and the race, now the challenge is to apply all this to completely different cars and regulations. The positive peaks achieved have given me great confidence. While in the most difficult situations I have learned how to better manage certain circumstances as a driver and member of my team.” A team, McLaren, which caused a lot of talk in 2025 for the method chosen to manage dynamics between drivers – with the famous papaya rules – and which will not change the essence of its internal management next season: “We will certainly simplify some things and I think it is a wise decision. The objective is to maintain the positive aspects of what we have done and improve the management of some situations. Last year some things could have been managed better but in general I have never questioned the team’s intentions towards me. We are working together to improve the overall picture.” To return, promises Piastri, to fight for the title also with new regulations: “Because changes are part of Formula 1 and we have always shown that we know how to react quickly. I am confident that we will continue to fight at the top”.
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