Oscar Piastri has discovered an unexpected downside to a season spent away from Formula 1's championship battle: the feeling of missing the stress that comes with fighting for the biggest prize in motorsport.
A year ago, Piastri was firmly in the title picture, leading the drivers' standings for much of the season before eventually finishing third behind McLaren team-mate Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. This time around, the contrast could hardly be greater.
With three rounds remaining, Piastri sits a lowly seventh in the championship without a victory or even a podium finish to his name. While the absence of title pressure has made his season somewhat more relaxed, he insists that is hardly a consolation.
Asked whether missing out on the championship fight had affected him, the Australian offered a revealing answer.
"Yes and no," he said. "I want to be in a championship fight every year if I can be, but also, it's definitely a bit more relaxed this year. Obviously, we're not wanting to be in this position, but there's not quite the same stress.
"But that stress that you have in a championship fight is the feeling you want, because it means you're fighting for something that is what your goal is. I am missing that feeling this year for sure."
An uncomfortable adjustment for McLaren
Piastri's predicament reflects McLaren's own difficulties adapting to F1's latest technical regulations.
After enjoying considerable success over the previous two seasons, the team has struggled to reproduce that level of competitiveness, leaving its drivers with a much less rewarding proposition.
The Australian says the MCL40 has been particularly challenging to extract performance from, with understanding its shortcomings proving a drawn-out exercise.
"It wasn't that easy to drive, and it's still not been easy to drive, even now," he said.
"It took us a while to understand exactly what needed to change, and then trying to actually change it is tough. But we're making progress with it slowly."
There were encouraging indications in Brazil, where Norris converted McLaren's latest improvements into victory at Interlagos, while Piastri recovered to sixth after failing to progress beyond Q2 in qualifying.
A different battle to finish the season
With the drivers' championship no longer an objective, Piastri has turned his attention towards a more modest but still meaningful target: helping McLaren reclaim third place in the constructors' standings.
The team currently trails Red Bull by 17 points, and the Australian believes the gap is bridgeable if its recent progress continues.
"Just keep learning and ultimately try and beat Red Bull in the constructors' championship. That's the big thing," he said.
"It's not going to be an easy task for sure, but I think it's possible. I think the car took a step forward this weekend, so hopefully that keeps going."
His next opportunity to help McLaren close the gap arrives in Las Vegas, as soon as next week.
For a driver who experienced the intensity of a title campaign only twelve months ago, that is perhaps the hardest adjustment of all. The pressure may have disappeared, but Piastri clearly has no desire to get comfortable without it.
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