McLaren celebrated victory in Brazil. Oscar Piastri left with a wait that now stretches beyond his rookie-season search for a first podium. Las Vegas offers his next chance to stop the count.
Oscar Piastri needed 16 Grand Prix starts to reach his first Formula 1 podium. He has now gone 16 consecutive starts without returning to one.
Sixth place in Brazil extended a drought that began after his third-place finish in Miami on May 3. More than six months later, the Australian heads to Las Vegas still searching for his next top-three finish.
The comparison with his debut season makes the number stand out. Piastri went through his first 15 Grands Prix without a podium in 2023 before finishing third at Suzuka on his 16th attempt. His current run has now passed that opening wait.
These figures count Grands Prix only, excluding Sprints.
Two podiums, then nothing since Miami
Piastri’s first two Grand Prix starts of 2026 both delivered podiums: second in Japan and third in Miami, following non-starts in Australia and China.
Since then, fourth places in Monaco and Austria have been his closest finishes to the podium. He has also finished fifth four times, but none of those results has broken the sequence.
Brazil brought a particularly sharp contrast. While Norris won at Interlagos, Piastri recovered from 10th on the grid to sixth.
Yet his assessment afterward was more encouraging than the finishing position suggested.
“Sixth feels a little lower than the performance deserved,” Piastri said in McLaren’s post-race report.
Brazil offered something to build on
Piastri reported stronger pace once he found his rhythm, particularly on the soft tires. Team principal Andrea Stella also highlighted his speed on dry tires, while pointing to time spent in traffic as a limitation on his recovery.
That matters heading into Vegas. The drought continued, but McLaren left Brazil with evidence that its latest development package had moved the car forward.
As we explained in our look at McLaren’s upgrades and its remaining problems, improving performance and making the car easier to drive remain connected priorities.
Piastri’s own verdict captured both sides: “The car felt like it took a step forward this weekend.”
Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi give him three remaining opportunities to turn that progress into a podium before the season ends. His rookie wait ended on the 16th attempt. This one has already reached 16 without the breakthrough.
