Oscar Piastri is holding out hope that McLaren will be closer to the fight for victory at this weekend’s Hungarian GP. The Australian expressed optimism regarding the upgrades brought to the Hungaroring, though he stopped short of confirming whether he had evaluated them in Woking’s simulator.

McLaren has introduced a new floor alongside other aerodynamic components slated for evaluation during free practice, including the notorious “Macarena” wing, which is expected to be tested during FP1. However, there is no guarantee that the component will be retained for the race.

“We should be a bit more competitive. We have a few upgrades this weekend, so hopefully they’ll put us a bit closer to the fight,” Piastri stated.

When asked whether he had tested the developments in the simulator, the Australian claimed not to recall if he had run the new package in the virtual environment, adding: “They just need to be faster. That’s all that matters to me.”

F1 2026, SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, CORRIDA, MCLAREN, OSCAR PIASTRI
Oscar Piastri (Photo: McLaren)

“It’s been a tough car to drive all season. Over the last few races, it became even trickier for whatever reason—whether it was the track layout, the wind, or the nature of the asphalt. I don’t really know,” Piastri concluded.

Formula 1 returns July 24–26 in Budapest, host of the Hungarian GP, Round 11 of the 2026 season.

F1 Hungarian GP: when to watch in US ET, London, New Delhi (India), Shanghai (China) and Sydney (Australia)

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