After leading the opening stint at Suzuka and holding George Russell off for long spells, Oscar Piastri believes Mercedes is beatable this season even though the Silver Arrows have won the first three races. The McLaren driver headed the field at Suzuka Circuit before strategy turned the race. He left Japan saying the pace he showed against Russell proves there is a route to victory if McLaren can close the gap.
Mercedes has made a perfect start to 2026 with race wins in Australia, China and Japan, plus a Shanghai sprint win. The team sits clear at the top of the constructors’ standings with a comfortable buffer. It has controlled Sundays so far and kept rivals behind when it mattered.
Japan broke that rhythm for long stretches. Piastri launched cleanly, settled into the lead, and kept Russell’s Mercedes behind through the early laps. A mid-race safety car and the timing of pit stops let Kimi Antonelli move to the front. Once in clear air, Antonelli managed the race to the finish. He won, and Piastri took second, 15 seconds behind.
Piastri drew positives from how he contained Russell. He pointed to long-run speed that allowed him to stay ahead on track. He also stressed that the fastest car still needs to be run at a very high level to win. He said McLaren executed well in Japan but still has a “pretty big gap to fill” to match Mercedes over a full race. He remains confident that the team can chip away at that margin as the year goes on.
Inside Mercedes there is little talk of comfort. Team principal Toto Wolff warned that upcoming upgrade packages, starting in Miami, could change the order. He said the early advantage may not last and that Mercedes is keeping its feet on the ground. The message is clear. Keep developing and expect the field to close.
Suzuka offered rivals a template for race day. McLaren had the speed to lead and force Mercedes to manage the race rather than drive away. Strategy and the safety car shaped the final result, but the head-to-head pace gave McLaren and others a target. In the championship, Antonelli leads Russell in the drivers’ standings, and Mercedes heads the constructors. That picture could shift as teams roll out updates over the next events. For Piastri and McLaren, the path is to keep bringing performance and turn pressure into wins when the window opens.