Oscar Piastri gave a direct assessment of McLaren’s chances for the 2026 Formula 1 season. After a dominant 2025, the Australian recognized that the current scenario is not as comfortable as it was twelve months ago, although the team remains among the contenders for the top positions.
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The Woking team won both titles last year, securing the Constructors’ Championship as early as Singapore, while Lando Norris secured the Drivers’ Championship in the final round in Abu Dhabi. Piastri, who led the standings by 34 points in August, finished the championship in third, behind Norris and Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing.
With the introduction of the new technical regulations in 2026, which are more electrified, the challenge has increased. The MCL40, successor to the successful MCL39, proved competitive in pre-season testing, amidst a front-running pack that also includes Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, and Ferrari.
Asked where he believes McLaren will be at the season opener, Piastri was cautious: “The honest answer is that I have no idea. I think, based on testing, it looks like we are in the fight at the front, but I certainly wouldn’t say we are the favorites to win,” he stated.
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The Australian highlighted that the current outlook is not as positive as it was at the start of 2025: “I don’t think the scenario looks as positive for us at the moment as it did twelve months ago, but the big point for everyone is that there is still a lot of untapped potential.”
According to him, the evolution over the testing days was significant: “Even during testing, the amount of things we learned, the amount of performance we found in six days… If we had arrived here with the car from day one, we would probably be in the middle of the pack or even at the back, to be honest,” he added.
For Piastri, starting the championship well will be fundamental. He highlighted that Melbourne presents distinct challenges compared to Bahrain and Barcelona, both due to the layout and the demands placed on the power units: “It’s going to be quite different how we need to drive the cars compared to any other circuit we’ve been to. We’re in the fight, but we need to find a bit more,” the Australian concluded.
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