Oscar Piastri came to Austin as championship leader, but left with more questions than answers. The weekend at the Circuit of the Americas exposed a concrete, repeated problem: lack of confidence and rhythm. That is not just a temporary inconvenience. It is a strategic risk that could complicate his title hunt considerably.
The symptom: rhythm and confidence lacking
Piastri struggled all weekend with the feeling in the car. He described it himself as "just getting the rhythm". McLaren team boss Andrea Stella confirmed that picture: on a bumpy COTA circuit with heavy braking zones and fast corners, confidence is crucial. Piastri lost time in several places, especially when braking to Turn 1, the bumpy Turn 6 and the tight hairpin of Turn 11.
The numbers don't lie: Piastri was slower than teammate Lando Norris in FP1, sprint qualifying and grand prix qualifying. The result was a crash in the sprint after contact with Nico Hülkenberg and a starting spot sixth in the main race, four places behind Norris. In a field this close, such marginal differences count heavily.
Cause deeper than one bad round
The crux does not lie in one misalignment or one mistake. The article argues convincingly that the problem is partly mechanical - the MCL39 has a tricky front axle that does not always feel right. Piastri has managed that better than Norris more often this season. Still, COTA allowed the car's familiar "behaviour" to surface again. At this circuit, drivers have to drive on the edge and brake very precisely. If that confidence is lacking, it is not limite driving but caution. Stella puts it sharply: "If anything is missing, it is precisely that aspect on Oscar's side."
Why Norris did stay close
Norris used a slightly different front suspension configuration meant to give a better feel. It is not a secret spell, but a setup choice that helps his driver better parry the specific challenges of COTA. Besides, Norris had the upper hand from the first session; he built a basic confidence to which Piastri had no answer.
Also important is the effect of the sprint format. There was only one free practice. Piastri's crash in the sprint deprived him of further learning opportunities that, given his problems, would have been much more valuable than for Norris. Fewer laps, fewer adjustments, less chance to find rhythm again. In short sprint weekends, small lags multiply quickly.
The strategic implications for the title
The cumulative effect is worrying. Because Piastri was behind Norris, both Ferraris and George Russell at the start of the race, he was sent to a mission of damage control. That is exactly what you don't want as a leader: instead of attacking and maximising points, you have to defend and recover. And in a title race where every position counts, that can be decisive.
McLaren faces two immediate choices: either find a setup solution that gives Piastri the same confidence as Norris, or accept that some circuits remain structurally more difficult for him. Given the signals from Austin, it is inevitable that the team will look at the front axle and front suspension configuration as a priority - and that Piastri will have more chance to test that setup on short sessions.
Conclusion: more than an off-day
Austin was not an incident-free weekend. It was a cautionary tale. Piastri's lack of confidence and rhythm is a structural bottleneck magnified by track characteristics and the sprint format. If McLaren does not address this quickly - both technically and in the way they allow Piastri to turn in short weekends - the championship leader risks a period of losing points rather than defending. For Piastri, that means recovering, learning and quickly learning to rely on the MCL39 again, otherwise his lead will become a fragile one.
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