Can Mercedes be beaten this season? Oscar Piastri thinks so after getting the better of George Russell in Japan.
Mercedes have won all three Grands Prix this season, plus the China Sprint, but they did not record a 1-2 in Japan. Instead, Piastri was the closest challenger to winner Kimi Antonelli — a result the Australian found encouraging after McLaren’s own unsettled start to the year.
Reigning champions McLaren have struggled with pace and reliability so far, with neither car able to start the Grand Prix in China because of different electrical issues. In Melbourne, Piastri was over eight tenths off George Russell in qualifying. That deficit narrowed to under half a second in China — where Antonelli took pole — and to less than four tenths in Japan as McLaren chipped away at the gap.
Asked in Japan whether Mercedes are beatable this season, Piastri was candid. “Yes,” he said. “I think we knew from last year, or we know from last year, that even when you have the best car you still need to operate it at an incredibly high level. And I think today on our side we did a really good job of that.
“But I think it’s interesting to see when someone else has the fastest car that it’s not that straightforward. And yeah, I think the fact that I could keep George [Russell] behind for so long was really encouraging.”
Piastri overtook both Mercedes cars at the start in Japan and led until his first pit stop. While he couldn’t completely drop Russell in the opening stint, he eased the pressure and began to extend a small margin over the Mercedes toward the end of that phase.
That performance boosts McLaren’s confidence and is also a positive sign for Ferrari, who were Mercedes’ closest rivals in Australia and China. Piastri, however, tempered optimism with realism. “We’re under no illusion. We did everything right this weekend and we still got beaten by 15 seconds, so we’ve got a pretty big gap to fill,” he said. “I’m confident that we can get there, but yes, we’ve still got some work to do.”
Historically, McLaren have been strong with in-season development. In 2024 they began the year fourth fastest but introduced a major upgrade mid-season that delivered multiple wins and helped secure their first Constructors’ title since 1998. In 2025, they developed the car further to keep Max Verstappen at bay and won both championships.
McLaren also run the in-form Mercedes power unit, which could help their cause if they can fully exploit the engine and solve their ongoing issues. If they do, they stand a good chance of mounting a sustained challenge to the Silver Arrows in 2026.