Oscar Piastri believes Mercedes’ dominant start to the 2026 Formula 1 season is not insurmountable, expressing confidence that McLaren—and their rivals—can catch up as the year progresses. Despite Mercedes winning all three Grands Prix and the China Sprint so far, Piastri’s performance in Japan, where he finished as runner-up to Kimi Antonelli and held off George Russell for much of the race, has given McLaren renewed optimism.
McLaren, reigning Constructors’ champions, have endured a rocky start to the season with both pace and reliability issues. Electrical problems prevented either car from starting the Chinese Grand Prix, while Piastri trailed Russell by over eight tenths in Melbourne qualifying. Encouragingly, that deficit shrank to under half a second in China and less than four tenths in Japan, showing tangible progress.
Asked whether Mercedes are beatable in 2026, Piastri was quick to respond: “Yes. We know from last year that even with the best car, you still need to operate at an incredibly high level. Today, we did a really good job of that. It’s interesting to see that when someone else has the fastest car, it’s not that straightforward.” Piastri’s ability to keep Russell behind for much of the Japanese Grand Prix was a key morale boost for McLaren.
Piastri managed to overtake both Mercedes drivers at the start in Japan, holding the lead until his first pit stop and gradually building a gap in the opening stint. While McLaren ultimately finished 15 seconds behind the winner, the performance demonstrated clear progress and gives hope to both McLaren and Ferrari, the latter having been Mercedes’ closest challengers in the opening rounds.
“We’re under no illusion. We did everything right this weekend and still got beaten by 15 seconds, so we’ve got a pretty big gap to fill,” Piastri admitted. “I’m confident that we can get there, but yes, we’ve still got some work to do.”
McLaren’s track record of in-season development is another reason for optimism. In 2024, a major mid-season upgrade propelled them from the fourth-fastest team to Grand Prix winners and ultimately to their first Constructors’ title since 1998. In 2025, further improvements helped them fend off Red Bull and secure both championships.
