Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
McLaren will be attempting to defend their constructors’ title for the second consecutive season this year, and Oscar Piastri is ‘confident’ that he will be given a car to do so.
Oscar Piastri was part of one of the most dominant seasons ever shown by a Formula 1 constructor in 2025 with McLaren.
On their way to a second successive feat in the constructors’ championship, McLaren set a brand new record for the most podiums by a team in a single season with 34.
They usurped the likes of Mercedes’ dominance at the beginning of the turbo-hybrid era, as well as Red Bull’s illustrious 2023 season that saw Max Verstappen put the sport in a chokehold as he won all but three races.
While he didn’t manage to secure the title for himself in the ultra-competitive season with the British constructor, Piastri certainly gained a lot of experience to aid his future title pushes.
- READ MORE: Oscar Piastri sets date to decide his McLaren future amid links with Ferrari and Red Bull
Let us know your 1, 2, 3…
Oscar Piastri shares his thoughts on McLaren’s chances ahead of the new F1 season
During an interview with the Today Show Australia, Piastri was asked about his sentiments regarding McLaren’s chances during the upcoming new season of regulations.
After initially noting that it’s difficult to know and explaining the differences between the former regulations and the new ones, the Australian star said, “Mercedes seems confident on the engine side of things that we’re in a good place.
“The impression I’ve always had with McLaren is that it doesn’t really matter what set of rules gets thrown at us. We’ll find a way to make it work and produce a competitive car.
“That’s what we kind of saw in the last rule set. We started off, as a team, without a particularly competitive car. When I first joined, we were one of the slowest.
“We managed to turn that around incredibly quickly, into a car that could achieve podiums and then wins, and then you know, now back-to-back constructors’ championships.
“So, no matter what rules we get thrown, I’m confident that we’ll be somewhere at the pointy end.”
McLaren are tipped to be ‘a step ahead’ of their F1 rivals due to the calibre of their workforce at the team’s Woking factory.
Given the fact that the papaya-adorned team have enjoyed having the fastest car on the grid for the majority of the last two seasons, they have clearly found a successful way of working together.
- READ MORE: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri told why they can never compare themselves to Ayrton Senna
Is qualifying Oscar Piastri’s biggest weakness?
Oscar Piastri is expecting some ‘tactical’ battles in 2026 due to the new rules
Toto Wolff believes Verstappen will have an advantage during F1’s regulatory overhaul, citing that the ‘sim driver generation’ will be able to adapt more easily to the strategies that the new 50% electrical power unit offers.
While Piastri doesn’t tip his former title rival to be better than everyone else, he is expecting some highly ‘tactical’ scenarios in racing conditions.
The McLaren star added, “In terms of how we race each other, it’s going to be quite different. The hybrid element and managing the battery level are going to be really important.
“It has been important in the past, but with that element being so much bigger from this season onwards.
“There’s going to be a lot more management of that from the drivers themselves, so, especially at the beginning of the season, you could see some interesting scenarios between drivers where some are more tactical.
“Saving their battery, some are just you know trying to get track position, and it could be an interesting kind of tactical battle there.
“In all honesty, I have no idea how it’s going to pan out, but it’ll be entertaining one way or another.”
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
