Oscar Piastri nightmare in focus as Lando Norris says: 'I disagree with all of that'

Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri nightmare in focus as Lando Norris says: 'I disagree with all of that'

Oscar's ears must be burning

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Monday 21 September 2026 10:57

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When Lando Norris provided his take on how F1's new generation of cars are impacting drivers in 2026, somewhere Oscar Piastri's ears must have been burning.

The 25-year-old from Melbourne has enjoyed a miserable 2026 season to date, and he currently sits in seventh position in the Drivers' standings - 66 points behind team-mate and defending world champion Norris.

Early in the campaign, with a controversial new set of regulations bedding in, McLaren as a whole struggled with a car that struggled to keep pace with the dominant Mercedes and even Ferrari.

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But now the upgraded MCL40 is right up there as potentially the fastest on the grid, with Norris having claimed victories in Hungary and the Netherlands before being robbed of another win by a virtual safety car in Madrid.

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McLaren are contenders again, but Piastri is still struggling

While McLaren are once again contenders, and Norris is driving better than ever, Piastri though is still struggling. He is clearly playing a very distinct second fiddle to his team-mate and apparently unable to return to the form which made him world title favourite at the summer break in 2025.

Team principal Andrea Stella has spoken of Piastri's struggles with the new car in 2026, explaining that the Australian thinks too much when he is driving, resulting in slower laps.

Stella believes Piastri is overthinking.

Norris though appeared to shoot that theory down during an appearance on course at the pro am day for golf's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Norris told The Telegraph: “Yeah, I have high hopes for the rest of the year and for next season,” he says, “when we’re more on a level playing field in terms of preparation. I’m obviously in a good spot in terms of figuring out how to drive these cars."

'We get paid millions to adapt' - Norris

The 26-year-old Norris believes it is down to the driver to adapt, and while it may have been unintentional his comments shine a light on Piastri's struggles.

“I see [stories] about the cars suiting some drivers more than others. I disagree with all of that. It’s our job as drivers to adapt.

"We get paid millions to adapt. I think I’ve just done a very good job at adapting to a very different car this year. And I think that’s why I’ve done a better job than most.”

Back fears kept Norris off course

Norris was on course merely as a spectator at Wentworth, watching his CEO Zak Brown take part in the high-profile event. The British star revealed that fears about his back had prevented him taking part.

“Of course I would love to be playing today,” he said.

“It’s just a mixture of things. If I want to play golf, I need to train to play golf. And I don’t have the time to do that. So, I don’t want to come here and hurt my back because I’ve not been able to train because I’ve not had time.

"I can’t just rock up and play golf. My body’s not designed to do that.”

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F1 McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri