Damon Hill believes it will pay off “in the long run” for Oscar Piastri to stay quiet, after seeing the Australian have to find his confidence at McLaren again in the 2026 season.

A lot has changed for Piastri over the past year, with the Melbourne native returning to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez facing a very difficult picture to the one that awaited upon his arrival at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix as last season’s drivers’ championship leader.

Mexico marked the official turning point in Piastri’s 2025 title fight with McLaren teammate Lando Norris, as the Briton surpassed his papaya pal to lead the standings and go on to win his maiden title. This year, however, Piastri returns to Mexico only seventh in the standings.

What's the BIGGEST reason for Oscar Piastri's downturn at McLaren this year? 📉

Damon Hill thinks Oscar Piastri will benefit from not discussing his issues with McLaren and in ‘his mind’

Piastri has struggled throughout 2026, with the 25-year-old making just two podiums from the first 18/23 rounds. His rostrums also came in rounds three in Japan with P2 and four in Miami with P3, having seen his only other podium bid end with a gearbox issue in Hungary.

Part of the problem has been that Piastri’s driving style has held him back in 2026, as what worked for the Australian in the ground-effect era does not suit F1’s new regulations. Also, 1996 F1 champion Hill believes part of Piastri’s plight is mental, having seen how McLaren naturally gravitated towards Norris after the Briton secured the team’s first title since 2008.

“[If] the other guy wins it and you’re still in the same team the following year, that’s hard,” Hill told Fox Sports Australia.

“It’s hard to actually walk into the factory and cope with the fact that all the attention is going on this guy, who is a world champion and you missed out. I think with Oscar, you’re seeing him having to re-find confidence.”

Piastri has seldom gone into much detail about why he has struggled at McLaren so far this season, though, which Hill believes is the best course of action. Hill feels Piastri will benefit in the end by keeping his gripes with McLaren’s car and/or the team to himself, as there are zero upsides to being honest in the public domain about any behind-the-scenes problems.

Hill added: “I think Oscar is reluctant to reveal whatever it is he’s having to cope with within the team or within his mind, and I think that’s wise. I think it’s probably a good idea to keep your powder dry.

“Every now and then, you have to express something – but once it’s out in the world, you don’t have any control over it. So, it’s very difficult to pick which bit you reveal, I suppose. But it does pay in the long run to just be judged on your performance, not necessarily on what you say.”

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has often noted that Piastri’s driving style does not suit F1’s 2026 regulations, as going fast with the new aero and chassis regulations tends to make the rear of the MCL40 slide, which goes against the Australian’s natural driving style.

On top of that, Piastri has had to drag the McLaren MCL40 by the scruff of its neck to try to extract the car’s potential, as the MCL40 is fundamentally difficult to drive (even for Norris).

But Jenson Button enjoyed Piastri’s recent resurgence across the rounds in Baku, Malaysia and Singapore, before the MCL40’s shortcomings held him back again in America. Piastri’s hopes to return to the rostrum had almost materialised in Azerbaijan, until he locked up.