Oscar Piastri believes that McLaren is not yet able to regularly win races against Mercedes, despite recent progress.
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Oscar Piastri made a clear assessment after the first five rounds of the season: McLaren is still behind Mercedes in the current Formula 1 hierarchy. Despite several upgrades made to the car, the Australian considers that the gap, although real, is not insurmountable.
After a particularly difficult Canadian Grand Prix, marked notably by strategic errors and incidents during the race, McLaren saw its limits reappear. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had placed their cars well on the grid, but a risky bet on intermediate tires quickly compromised their chances of a good result.
A hierarchy still unfavorable to McLaren
In the constructors’ standings, McLaren currently occupies third place, with a significant gap behind Mercedes and Ferrari. A situation that reflects a mixed start to the season, despite notable technical progress.
Piastri points out, however, that the team has introduced several important upgrades since Miami and Montreal, which allows for some optimism for the rest of the championship.
According to him, some sessions have shown encouraging signs, even if the results do not yet fully reflect the car’s potential.
Performances still insufficient to aim for victory
Despite these improvements, the Australian driver remains clear about the current situation: McLaren is not yet able to compete for victory based solely on pure pace.
“We still have work to do to make the car faster” Piastri explained to the media.
He nevertheless acknowledges having felt progress compared to Miami, notably on certain aspects of the car’s behavior.
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“There are always positive points, but sometimes you really have to look for them” he added.
Mercedes still ahead, but McLaren lurking
In pure pace, Mercedes maintains a slight advantage according to Piastri, even if McLaren remains in a close performance zone. A proximity that suggests a potential return to the front if the right optimizations are found.
“Mercedes was still ahead, but we could get close. It was a bit the same situation as in Miami” he analyzed.
The McLaren driver believes the team can stay in the fight if it manages to properly exploit its starting positions, but insists on the need to close the overall gap.
“We are not in a position where we can win races purely on merit, but we are not far.”
McLaren facing a turning point in its season
As the season enters a key phase, McLaren will have to turn its technical improvements into concrete results to avoid falling behind in the fight against Mercedes and Ferrari.
For Piastri, the goal is now clear: to continue progressing fast enough to become a regular contender for victory again.
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