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F1 icon takes aim at Piastri after "dismal" run
Emily Benammar • March 18th, 2026 1:47 pm
The “wheels have truly come off” for McLaren and Oscar Piastri, according to David Coulthard who has taken aim at the Aussie for comments he made at the China Grand Prix.
It has been a disastrous start to the 2026 season for the papaya team and Piastri who is yet to complete a single lap of a race after two Grands Prix.
His home race in Melbourne saw him spin off and crash while on the formation lap while in China last weekend the 24-year-old’s car suffered an electrical failure.
It was the first time in 57 years a McLaren driver had not started the first two races of a season, and the first time since Indianapolis in 2005 that both cars failed to make the starting grid after Lando Norris was also forced to withdraw.
After some of the most transformative regulations changes the sport has seen came in for 2026, McLaren are certainly struggling to find their groove while Ferrari and Mercedes have enjoyed a far smoother transition.
“We have to talk McLaren, my old team, the highs of the last couple of years to, well, it’s been pretty dismal, hasn’t it,” Coulthard said on the Up To Speed podcast.
“And the wheels have truly come off the wagon in that to have both cars not starting the Grand Prix.”
“I spoke to Oscar as he was walking away from the grid to go for a toilet break, and he made the comment, ‘Well, at least I’ve made the grid this time’.
“Little did he know, by the time he got back from the toilet, his car was off the grid.
“So, the cars are clearly unreliable. They’re pointing the finger at their engine supplier, which is Mercedes Benz. How quickly things change.”
Piastri, who is contracted with Mclaren until the end of the 2028 season, has been linked with a move away from the team ever since the speculation of preferential treatment began midway through 2025.
Coulthard has warned that if the issues continue with McLaren, the Aussie could well be reconsidering his future in the sport.
“I spoke to Oscar as he was walking away from the grid to go for a toilet break, and he made the comment, ‘Well, at least I’ve made the grid this time’,” Coulthard continued.
“Little did he know, by the time he got back from the toilet, his car was off the grid.
“So, the cars are clearly unreliable. They’re pointing the finger at their engine supplier, which is Mercedes Benz. How quickly things change.”
Piastri lamented after his withdrawal in Shanghai that it had been a long time since he had been able to watch two consecutive races on TV.
McLaren insist the issues with the car would be investigated and a solution found in time for the next race in Japan.
