McLaren surprised by own pace in Japanese GP podium finish

McLaren secured its best result of the season with a podium finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, led by Oscar Piastri's impressive drive to second place. Team Principal Andrea Stella expressed surprise at the car's competitiveness, particularly in Piastri's battle with Mercedes' George Russell. While Kimi Antonelli claimed a dominant victory, McLaren's strong showing against Mercedes signals a potential shift in the competitive order.

Why it matters:

McLaren's unexpected pace at a high-demand circuit like Suzuka suggests their development program is yielding real results, putting pressure on the established front-runners. For a team that failed to start both cars in the opening rounds, this podium represents a dramatic turnaround and could mark the beginning of a genuine resurgence in the 2026 season, challenging Mercedes' position as a consistent podium contender.

The details:

• Oscar Piastri made a stellar start from the front row, overtaking both Mercedes cars to take the lead on the opening lap.
• Team principal Andrea Stella admitted surprise at the car's race pace, noting they were able to pull a gap on George Russell's Mercedes towards the end of the first stint.
• The race's pivotal moment was a Safety Car intervention, which allowed Kimi Antonelli to take a cheap pit stop and emerge in the lead, a position he would not relinquish.
• Stella conceded that even without the Safety Car, Antonelli's superior pace likely meant victory was out of reach, but beating Russell on merit was a significant achievement.
• The result was McLaren's first two-car finish of the season, confirming the positive progress shown in qualifying.

What's next:

The Japanese GP result provides McLaren with crucial momentum and data as the season develops. The team will look to confirm this performance as a genuine step forward, not a circuit-specific anomaly, at the upcoming races. With both cars now reliably finishing, consistent points finishes will be the target as they aim to solidify their position in the upper midfield and potentially challenge for more podium opportunities.

summary: McLaren team boss Andrea Stella revealed his surprise at the car's strong pace in Japan, where Oscar Piastri finished second. The result, which included a lead battle with Mercedes, marks a significant turnaround for the team after a difficult start to the 2026 season. categories: [