Oscar Piastri’s four-word reaction and 2026 prediction as F1 scraps DRS
Oscar Piastri has bid farewell to his ‘old friend’, DRS
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has proclaimed “goodbye old friend, DRS” after Formula 1 announced that DRS will be axed in 2026 in favour of a power boost.
Oscar Piastri has had a somewhat complicated relationship with the Drag Reduction System that’s been used in Formula 1 since 2011, and that’s also in Formula 3 and Formula 2.
The end of a complicated relationship
From declaring in 2020 that DRS was sending him “mixed signals” and that their relationship was “on a break”, he later reported they had “mended” their relationship.
However, a further breakdown in the relationship had the Aussie tweeting: “So I see DRS Told the rest of my car to stop working. Dick move DRS, dick move”. The messages were signed “old friend”.
While his relationship with DRS did improve as he climbed the ranks to join McLaren in Formula 1 in 2023, even then there were problems although the bulk of those were DRS trains.
Alas, the relationship is nearing its end after Formula 1 announced DRS would be dropped in 2026 in favour of a power boost.
Piastri responded to the F1 post on X: “Goodbye old friend, DRS.”
Driver reaction as F1 announced the new 2026 regulations
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As of 2026, Formula 1 will not only have new engines but also new cars on the grid with the sport introducing lighter and smaller cars.
Asked if he was concerned that the new regulations would create bigger gaps at a time when Red Bull’s rivals had closed in on them, the McLaren driver replied: “I think every time the regs have changed, it’s led to a pretty big spread, especially with engines, 2014 being the last time with that and kicking off a really long period of dominance.
“I think we’ve seen even with these regs, we’re only just starting to catch up to Red Bull, week in, week out, now.
“I think we have an important place in society to be at the forefront of technology and innovation, and I think that’s always what F1’s been about in some ways.
“And I guess you could argue that sometimes that does come at the cost of the racing, which is always a shame.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the teams sort of separate a bit more in 2026, both with different aero regs and especially the engine regs. There’s a very big chance, I would say, that the teams are going to be more spread out than what they are now.
“But we’ll have to wait and see.”
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