The reigning World Champions have not enjoyed a dream start to defending their titles, but signs of recovery appeared in Japan when Oscar Piastri delivered McLaren’s first podium of the year. With Andrea Stella leading the sporting and technical effort and Zak Brown managing matters commercially, the team have the structure to compete — the question is whether they can make it three consecutive Constructors’ championships.
How the season has unfolded
Pre-season testing suggested McLaren would be competitive: the papaya cars completed more laps than anyone and, running the Mercedes power unit, expectations were high. Oscar Piastri has generally out-qualified team mate Lando Norris so far, taking the edge in the new regulations across the three Grands Prix; Norris only finished ahead in the Shanghai Sprint.
That promise has not always translated into race results. In Australia Piastri crashed on his way to the grid in dry conditions and did not start, while Norris finished a remote fifth after struggling for pace against Mercedes and Ferrari. China proved worse: both drivers lost places in the Sprint and then both McLarens failed to get off the line at the race start with separate electrical issues.
Suzuka offered a turnaround. Piastri put in his best qualifying of the season, started third, led in the early laps and converted that pace into second place — his first Grand Prix start and a first podium of 2026. Norris finished fifth. Importantly, McLaren showed that on the right track and in the right circumstances they can challenge Mercedes, with Piastri’s result breaking the Silver Arrows’ run of 1-2 finishes.
Reasons for optimism
There are plenty of reasons McLaren remain a threat. Their in-season development record is strong: in 2024 they ran the best upgrade programme in the paddock, transforming performance mid-season. That engineering firepower makes further progress likely.
Continued learning about the Mercedes power unit will also pay dividends. The more McLaren understand and can exploit the package, the closer they should be to the front-runners.
The driver pairing is another asset. Norris arrives as the reigning World Champion and is in fine form; Piastri has shown resilience after a difficult start to 2026, bouncing back from two non-starts to take a podium at Suzuka. That mental strength and intra-team competition can push the team forward.
Reasons for caution
However, there are clear limitations. Stella has acknowledged McLaren do not yet have the same command of the Mercedes power unit as its maker, meaning they cannot exploit it as fully as Mercedes themselves. Closing that gap could take time — and in that window the Silver Arrows may remain out of reach.
On pure race craft, Piastri kept George Russell at bay in Japan but could not open the same kind of gap Mercedes have managed in clean air. The Safety Car later limited what the race might have revealed, yet it’s reasonable to suspect Piastri would still have finished second rather than challenging for victory.
Ferrari also look consistently strong, meaning McLaren must contend with two competitive cars from that stable on many weekends, adding pressure on efforts to score consistently.
Voices from the team
Andrea Stella admitted McLaren were “surprised” to be fighting at the front in Japan and said the team must improve the chassis by a few tenths to be consistently competitive. He confirmed McLaren plan significant upgrades, including a “completely new” car earmarked for Miami and the Canadian Grand Prix.
Piastri expressed relief at finally taking the start in Suzuka and praised the team’s execution, while acknowledging more performance is needed. Norris described Suzuka as “a strong day for the team,” noting clear progress on deploying the power unit and stressing that the extended break before Miami will be used to prepare upgrades and return in better shape.
What McLaren must work on
A full understanding and integration of the Mercedes power unit is essential if McLaren are to consistently challenge Mercedes. That means close collaboration with HPP and intensive analysis of on-car data to close the current performance gap.
Stella has highlighted chassis development as a critical area — on current form he views McLaren as the third-best package behind Mercedes and Ferrari, so targeted chassis upgrades are key. The team must replicate their past strength in mid-season development and execute the planned major update deliveries.
Helping Norris unlock more performance from this generation of car will be important for the team’s title defence. Sharing Piastri’s set-up and driving data to find where the Australian is extracting extra performance could speed that process. Norris’s duel with Lewis Hamilton in Japan showed his race craft remains sharp; a few tenths from the chassis or deployment strategy could put him on team mate pace more regularly.
Conclusion
McLaren remain a team to watch. The Suzuka podium indicates progress and the infrastructure for success is in place, but bridging the gap to Mercedes — and keeping Ferrari honest — requires rapid learning about the power unit, focused chassis development, and effective use of both drivers’ data. If their upgrade trajectory mirrors past mid-season surges, McLaren could yet reassert themselves as title contenders.