Can Mercedes be beaten this season? Oscar Piastri thinks so after outpacing George Russell in Japan.
Mercedes have dominated the early season, claiming all three Grands Prix and the China Sprint, but they did not record a 1-2 finish in Japan. Instead, Piastri proved the closest threat to race winner Kimi Antonelli — a showing the Australian found encouraging given McLaren’s rocky start to the year.
McLaren have struggled for pace and reliability so far. Neither of their cars started the Grand Prix in China because of separate electrical issues, and in Melbourne Piastri was more than eight tenths off Russell in qualifying. That deficit shrank to under half a second in China — where Antonelli took pole — and narrowed again in Japan to less than four tenths as McLaren chipped away at the gap.
Piastri was blunt about Mercedes’ vulnerability after the race. He said that even the best car requires flawless operation to deliver results, and that McLaren executed well in Japan. He also noted that when a rival has the fastest car, races are rarely straightforward, so keeping Russell behind for a long spell was a positive sign.
At the start in Japan Piastri passed both Mercedes and led until his first pit stop. He couldn’t entirely shake Russell in the opening stint, but he eased the pressure and managed to extend a small margin over the Silver Arrows toward the end of that phase.
That performance will lift McLaren’s spirits and is also an encouraging indicator for Ferrari, who were Mercedes’ closest rivals in Australia and China. Piastri tempered excitement with realism, pointing out that despite a clean weekend they were still beaten by around 15 seconds — a sizable gap that needs closing.
History is on McLaren’s side when it comes to mid-season development. In 2024 they began the year down the order but brought a major upgrade that yielded multiple wins and helped secure a Constructors’ title. In 2025 they kept developing the car to fend off Max Verstappen and carried both championships home.
McLaren also run Mercedes’ current power unit, which could prove advantageous if they extract its full potential and resolve their lingering issues. If they do, a sustained challenge to the Silver Arrows in 2026 looks achievable.