Ian Chadband
March 30, 2026 — 10:25am
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Feeling as if his runner’s-up finish at the Japanese Grand Prix was “as good as a win”, a buoyant Oscar Piastri predicts rejuvenated McLaren can still cause headaches this season for Formula One’s dominant Mercedes pacesetters.
Enjoying what he hailed as “one of my best weekends in F1” in Suzuka, Piastri demonstrated with his second-place behind Mercedes’ teen ace Kimi Antonelli – which might have been even better if not for an unfortunately-timed safety car – that constructors champions McLaren are back in business.
So is the 24-year-old Australian driver after finally managing to get off the start line in the season’s third race and rocket up the leaderboard to sixth – even if he’s still 51 points adrift of the youngest-ever championship leader, 19-year-old Antonelli.
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough for the win, but at the moment a result like today is as good as a win for us,” enthused Piastri to reporters an hour after he’d told his team jovially over the radio: “Turns out when we start these things, we’re pretty good.”
Indeed, he was very good, from the moment he got off to a rocket start to grab the lead from third on the grid all the way through his terrific defence in an entertaining duel with George Russell’s faster Mercedes.
Certainly, there was little surprise when he ended up being voted driver of the day, even ahead of the precocious Antonelli.
His second-place finish in the Japanese Grand Prix has restored Oscar Piastri’s confidence.Getty Images
“As race weekends go, we couldn’t have done any better than that,” said Piastri, as even his world champion teammate Lando Norris, who only finished fifth, was happy to agree it had been a “strong” few days for McLaren.
“I’m very happy with the performance that I put in, very happy with the performance from the whole team. The strategy was good, I think we just nailed everything,” added Piastri.
“I think this was probably one of my best weekends in F1. In the race there wasn’t anything more we could have done. We got a good start, the pace was good, and I felt like I was strategic or smart with how I used the boost and how I managed that side of racing.
“Obviously, the safety car (which enabled Antonelli to take advantage of a cheap pit stop after Piastri had already boxed) was a shame, but I think as race weekends go, we couldn’t have done any better than that.
Teen prodigy Kimi Antonelli is making a mark for Mercedes early in the 2026 season.AP
“We’ve got a long way to go, but we showed that if we get everything as good as we can get it, then we can cause a few headaches.”
The Victorian was the toast of his team, with McLaren team boss Andrea Stella having praised Piastri’s attitude at the weekend after his horror start to the season.
“Based on what we have seen in testing, in practice, in qualifying, based on his overall attitude and mental strength, I think we are seeing the best version of Oscar, the strongest Oscar since he’s been in Formula 1,” said the Italian.
“Really well done to Oscar.”
McLaren will now be hoping to build on their encouraging Suzuka comeback with an unexpected five-week gap, following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi grands prix, to work on improvements before F1 returns to action in Miami at the start of May.
But, in contrast to Piastri’s positivity, four-time world champion Max Verstappen will continue to weigh up his future over the break and remainder of the season.
Verstappen reiterated after the Japan GP – where he finished eighth – that has not ruled out retiring at the end of 2026, saying he is trying “very hard” to enjoy racing under the new changes implemented this year.
“Privately I’m very happy,” Verstappen, 28, told the BBC after the race. “You also wait for 24 races. This time it’s 22. But normally 24. And then you just think about is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you’re not enjoying your sport?”
Asked if this could be his final season, Verstappen replied, “that’s what I’m saying”.
“I want to be here to have fun and have a great time and enjoy myself. At the moment, that’s not really the case,” he added. “Of course I do enjoy certain aspects. I enjoy working with my team. It’s like a second family. But once I sit in the car it’s not the most enjoyable, unfortunately. I’m trying. I keep telling myself every day to try and enjoy it. It’s just very hard.”
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Verstappen is among the drivers struggling after one of the most significant regulation changes in F1 took place this season.
“I can easily accept to be in P7 or P8 where I am,” he said. “Because I also know that you can’t be dominating or be first or second or whatever, fighting for a podium every time. I’m very realistic in that and I’ve been there before. I’ve not only been winning in F1.
“But at the same time when you are in P7 or P8 and you are not enjoying the whole formula behind it, it doesn’t feel natural to a racing driver,” he said.
“Of course I try to adapt to it, but it’s not nice the way you have to race. It’s really anti-driving. Then at one point, yeah, it’s just not what I want to do.”
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