Martin Brundle believes Oscar Piastri will come back with a vengeance in 2026 after missing out on the 2025 drivers' championship title to his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.
For the majority of the season, Piastri and Norris battled it out at the front of the grid, and the Australian driver had six grand prix wins over Norris's five before heading into the summer break. But a strong comeback from Norris and a late surge from Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the second half of the season resulted in Norris claiming his first drivers' title. Verstappen overtook Piastri for second in the standings.
As Piastri prepares for his fourth season in the championship, which will also introduce a new set of regulations, Brundle believes the disappointment of 2025 will drive the 24-year-old in 2026.
"I think he’ll come back with a vengeance, to be honest," Brundle told Sky Sports F1. "It was partly painful, partly brilliant for him last year. He learned a lot. I think that it’s openly accepted that on the really low-grip circuits, he’s not getting the best out of the car and out of the tyre, so he knows he’s got to fix that.
"But some of the victories he’s had were so dominant, so impressive. I think he’ll take a lot from that. I’m sure it was painful in the end for him and I think that will be a driver [for him this season].
"We’ve observed him. He’s an incredibly bright lad and he’s clearly competitive. He’s a worker. I think he’ll come back having made a big step forward."
McLaren will unveil its 2026 Formula 1 livery during a launch event on Monday 9 February before Bahrain testing, which will run from 11 to 13 February and 18 to 20 February. The season will then officially start with the Australian Grand Prix from 6 to 8 March.
