Oscar Piastri admitted he "doesn't have any answers" after a disappointing Dutch Grand Prix in which he slipped from a promising position to a lonely sixth place — a stark contrast to teammate Lando Norris, who cruised to victory.

The Australian made an excellent start, overtaking George Russell at the restart after switching to hard tyres during the red flag period. But a slow pit stop undid his race, and from there he gradually slipped backwards, being passed by both Ferraris before crossing the line more than 40 seconds behind Norris.

"Disappointing, obviously," Piastri told Sky Sports F1. "I think the first lap was good, or after the red flag was good, and then the first stint felt okay, and then after that I had nothing. I don't know why — plenty to look into." Asked to identify the main problem, he said: "The pace. I don't really have any more answers than that at the moment."

Teammate's success adds to the frustration

What makes Piastri's struggles more puzzling is Norris's imperious form. The reigning world champion has now won back-to-back races and produced a peerless performance in Zandvoort, overtaking Antonelli with a bold move around the outside of Turn 1 before pulling away to win by 11.5 seconds.

Asked if he was surprised by his lack of pace given his teammate's performance, Piastri answered simply: "Yes." He added: "Unfortunately, I don't have any ideas as to why."

Team principal Andrea Stella was more upbeat, believing the result flattered neither the driver nor the car: "The finishing result of P6 is not a fair reflection of the competitiveness he demonstrated throughout the weekend. We lost time at the pit stop and then struggled to switch on the Hard tyre in the second stint, which cost him several positions. We know there is more potential that we can extract."

Points gap widens

With 104 points, Piastri is effectively out of championship contention, sitting fifth in the standings behind Norris, Antonelli, Russell and Hamilton. His struggles have simplified McLaren's strategic position — with only one realistic title contender, the team can throw its full weight behind Norris without the internal conflict that could arise from a two-championship fight.

Norris's victory cut his deficit to championship leader Antonelli to 83 points with 11 races remaining. As The Athletic's Luke Smith noted, even a perfect run from Norris may not be enough — Antonelli would need to finish outside the top two on several occasions for the title to become genuinely attainable. But Norris's recent form — combined with Mercedes' stagnation — has at least made the fight interesting.

"I know what I can do," is how one returning driver phrased it recently. For Piastri, the next challenge is rediscovering that certainty at Monza, where McLaren will hope both cars can compete at the front.