Piastri’s 2026 struggles diagnosed as ex-McLaren driver reveals hidden problem

Oscar Piastri’s 2026 season has been a far cry from what we witnessed in 2025 and former McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya has revealed a major reason behind the Australian’s struggles this year.

Piastri, who led the Drivers’ Championship for over 13 rounds during the 2025 season, has not produced the consistency expected of him. The Australian has shown the form that made him a title contender last year but the 25-year-old has not been able to match the pace of teammate Lando Norris so far.

Montoya has suggested that a significant factor in his current struggles during a tough first half of the season could be the way Piastri lost out on the 2025 Drivers’ Championship.

The seven-times race winner reckons the psychological blow of missing out on a title that looked to be Piastri's for the taking could have played on his confidence and contributed to his dip in form.

Oscar Piastri has had a tough 2026 season so far - Photo: Race Pictures "Last year, the loss of the championship hit him very hard mentally. “It’s a process of moving on from it, working it out and getting the focus and the energy back to get the job done.” 'He's bloody good so I think he will,' Montoya said via a betting platform. 'It's such a big thing on the head, the psychology part of it. Last year when he lost the championship, everyone was talking like it was his, like it was a done deal. “It’s a hard pill to swallow when you are in that position where you look unbeatable and you lose the championship,” he added.

Montoya however is sure that Piastri will be able to find his best rhythm again highlighting the natural speed and talent of the Australian. It's gonna take some time to get back to where he needs to be. I really believe he can do some amazing things. I think Oscar is a bloody good driver he’s very fast.

Piastri spent most of the 2025 season comfortably perched atop the Drivers’ Championship before ultimately losing the title to teammate Norris, but the Australian has only mustered two podiums thru the first 11 races of the 2026 campaign. His problems were compounded at the Hungarian Grand Prix where he didn’t finish.

McLaren’s major takeaway from 2026 season

Earlier, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said he believes the team has learned its biggest lesson from a tough opening half of the 2026 campaign.

"unity and resilience have been key to McLaren’s ability to bounce back after a challenging start to the season," said Stella whose squad returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix.

The McLaren boss reflected on the first half of the campaign and admitted the team’s struggles but praised the spirit within the squad, claiming its ability to regroup and react has been key to its bounce back. Stella also highlighted the resilience and contributions of both drivers, saying they were key to helping McLaren turn their season around after a tough start.