Piastri exposes harsh truth behind Mercedes pace after 15-second loss

The Australian, who secured a podium finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, successfully held off George Russell’s Mercedes through much of the opening stint. However, his efforts were ultimately undone by a Safety Car triggered by a crash involving Oliver Bearman.

Despite missing out on victory in Suzuka and finishing 15 seconds behind race winner Kimi Antonelli, Piastri remains convinced that Mercedes can be beaten – particularly given the exceptional level of execution required to stay at the front in Formula 1.

Speaking to the media, the 25-year-old emphasised that having the fastest car alone is not enough to guarantee success. He also drew encouragement from his ability to keep Russell at bay for a significant portion of the race.

“Yes. I think we knew from last year, or we know from last year, that even when you have the best car you still need to operate it at an incredibly high level. And I think today on our side we did a really good job of that. But I think it’s interesting to see when someone else has the fastest car that it’s not that straightforward. I think the fact that I could keep George behind for so long was really encouraging,” Piastri explained.

The McLaren driver, however, concluded by tempering expectations, stressing how he isn’t under any illusion about how quick the Mercedes team remain.

“But we’re under no illusion. We did everything right this weekend, and we still got beaten by 15 seconds, so we’ve got a pretty big gap to fill. I’m confident that we can get there, but yes, we’ve still got some work to do,” Piastri concluded.

Previously, 1997 F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve called for the Mercedes team to be concerned about McLaren. The Canadian noted how the Woking-based outfit have often proven to be quick enough to challenge Mercedes, despite the difficult start they have had to the season.

Villeneuve also noted how the McLaren team are great at responding to challenges thrown at them, a factor he believes could prove to be an edge in their fight for the 2026 titles.

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