Oscar Piastri addresses potential major McLaren disadvantage to F1 title rivals

Oscar Piastri has dismissed the idea that McLaren is at a disadvantage to its F1 title rivals owing to its engine status.

McLaren's MCL40 machine is to be powered by a Mercedes HPP customer supply of power units as Piastri and Lando Norris look to win a third successive constructors' championship in 2026.

However, owing to the complex new power units for the coming season, it is expected that full works teams, such as Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull, will have an advantage over customer outfits. 

Of the six customer teams on the grid in 2026, McLaren is expected to be the main one challenging for grand prix wins and be in title contention, but Piastri does not believe that McLaren's customer status will have a negative impact on its chance compared to the other teams in F1's 'big four.'

"Being a works team obviously has its advantages, especially now that there is development again on the engine side of things," Piastri told media, including RacingNews365. 

"But we've obviously got a very close relationship with Mercedes HPP, which is very beneficial to us, and all the teething troubles we had in the [Barcelona] test were not to do with not being a works team.

"Yes, we may be behind a little in that they've had years to integrate these rules into their car, but we've been in that process for a long time, so I don't think it is necessarily a disadvantage. 

"It is going to be about who was able to capitalise in the 12 months on aero testing and just getting things organised."