Piastri: Mercedes are 'far from untouchable' after Japan GP battle
McLaren's Oscar Piastri says Mercedes are "far from untouchable," citing his prolonged battle with George Russell in Japan. He believes flawless execution is key, even with the best car, and finds encouragement in McLaren's pace but admits a significant gap remains after finishing 15 seconds behind the winner.
Oscar Piastri believes Mercedes are "far from untouchable" after a fierce on-track battle with George Russell at the Japanese Grand Prix, despite finishing 15 seconds behind the winning Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli. The McLaren driver took encouragement from holding Russell at bay but acknowledged a "pretty big gap" remains to the front after a near-perfect weekend from his team was still not enough for victory.
Why it matters:
Piastri's comments cut through the early-season narrative that Mercedes might be in a league of its own. His ability to challenge one of their cars on track, combined with his observation that having the fastest car requires flawless execution, suggests the 2026 title fight could be more open than it initially appeared after two dominant Mercedes wins.
The details:
- Piastri successfully fended off George Russell's Mercedes for a large portion of the opening stint at Suzuka, proving the McLaren had competitive race pace.
- His strategy and potential podium finish were undone by a Safety Car period, triggered by Oliver Bearman's crash, which benefited other drivers.
- In his post-race analysis, Piastri stressed that supreme car performance alone doesn't guarantee wins. "Even when you have the best car you still need to operate it at an incredibly high level," he said, noting Mercedes faced challenges despite their speed.
- He found major encouragement in his duel with Russell: "I think the fact that I could keep George behind for so long was really encouraging."
- His view echoes earlier comments from 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve, who warned Mercedes to be wary of McLaren's historical ability to develop quickly and respond to challenges.
What's next:
While optimistic, Piastri tempered expectations by clearly stating the scale of the task ahead. "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 concluded. The focus for McLaren will be on unlocking more performance to consistently challenge Mercedes, with Piastri expressing confidence that the team can close the deficit through development over the coming races.