Piastri: McLaren Not Yet Back to Best, But 'Getting There'

Momentum is building at McLaren, but Oscar Piastri is keeping expectations grounded. After a difficult start to the season, the papaya squad delivered a strong Miami Grand Prix weekend with both cars on the podium, yet the Australian insists the team is not back to its 2023 peak. 'We're certainly not quite back in the position we were last year, but we're getting there,' he said.

Why it matters:

McLaren's resurgence could disrupt the current competitive order. Early struggles in Australia and China raised questions, but steady improvements—including a Sprint one-two in Miami—signal the team is closing the gap to Mercedes. However, with rivals also bringing upgrades, the true pecking order remains unclear. Piastri’s caution reflects the need for sustained performance across different circuits before declaring a comeback.

The details:

• McLaren introduced a significant upgrade package in Miami, and the results followed immediately. Lando Norris won the Sprint, leading a one-two finish that even caught the team by surprise.
• Piastri himself scored a podium in Japan and backed it up with another strong result in Miami, but he notes that Mercedes—without major updates—was still 'a tiny bit quicker' over one lap in qualifying and the main race.
• 'We kind of need to see where we stack up at a few different tracks,' Piastri explained. 'Especially in the Sprint side of this weekend, to have a one-two on pure pace, that was a pretty big surprise for us.'
• The Australian emphasized that McLaren’s upgrades have worked as expected, but further gains are needed to match Mercedes’ baseline speed consistently.

What's next:

McLaren has more upgrades in the pipeline, but Mercedes is also bringing its own update package for the Canadian Grand Prix. Piastri acknowledged the need to validate performance across multiple circuits before drawing firm conclusions. 'We’ll have to wait and see how much that's worth for them,' he said. For now, McLaren’s trajectory points upward, but the destination remains uncertain—the team is edging closer to its former peak, but isn't there yet.