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Oscar Piastri Delivers Strong Reply to Ferrari Speculations
Highlights
- Oscar Piastri says McLaren has stronger race starts than Ferrari.
- Piastri qualified fourth at Canadian GP Sprint, close to Russell.
- McLaren introduced second upgrade package to boost competitiveness.
- New F1 rules caused turbo lag, affecting race start performance.
- Ferrari remains consistent, but McLaren leads in effective launches.
- Mercedes still struggles with starts, despite recent car upgrades.
Oscar Piastri says McLaren’s race starts are stronger than Ferrari’s this season, speaking after Canadian Grand Prix Sprint qualifying in Montreal.
The Australian qualifies fourth, three tenths from polesitter George Russell. Lando Norris takes third, with the Ferraris lining up fifth and sixth in a tightly matched field.
“McLaren’s launches have been stronger than Ferrari’s so far,” Piastri says after Montreal’s Sprint qualifying.
McLaren rolls out the second phase of its major upgrade package, building on recent gains. That development push, detailed in McLaren’s upgrade programme, aims to sustain front-running pace.
Piastri describes a messy day for many teams yet notes Mercedes looks competitive. He expects further McLaren gains as the new parts are optimised around setup and tyre preparation.
MGU-H removal increases turbo lag, prompting new start procedures from the Chinese Grand Prix onwards.
Starts have grown trickier under the new power unit regulations. With the MGU-H removed, turbo response suffers, and Formula 1 revises procedures from China to curb bogged launches, as discussed in Piastri’s analysis of F1 changes.
Ferrari remains reliably sharp off the line, preserving track position consistently. Mercedes, despite upgrades, still sees drivers like Kimi Antonelli and George Russell vulnerable into turn one.
McLaren’s execution stands out. Strong launches helped Piastri seize the early initiative in Japan, reinforcing his view that McLaren currently holds the edge over Ferrari in start effectiveness.
Qualifying margins underline the contest: Norris P3, Piastri P4, Ferraris P5–P6 behind Russell’s pole.
Asked about Ferrari threats from behind, Piastri suggests McLaren often gets the jump. He also expects Mercedes to unlock improvements soon, echoing his earlier caution on Mercedes.
Montreal underlines how evenly matched McLaren and Ferrari are on outright pace. In that context, launch performance and early track position could swing fine margins across Sprint and Grand Prix stints.
With teams chasing start optimisation under the current rules, McLaren seeks to convert strong launches into strategic control. That early-race edge may prove decisive as the 2026 season evolves.
Visual Summary
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McLaren outstarts Ferrari
Oscar Piastri: “We’ve been stronger off the line this season!”
Oscar Piastri: “We’ve been stronger off the line this season!”
McLaren
Ferrari
Quickest starts: McLaren 72% vs Ferrari 48%*
*approximate, based on positions after opening lap this season
2026 F1:
New start rules: No MGU-H, drivers juggling turbo lag!
New start rules: No MGU-H, drivers juggling turbo lag!
James William covers the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, from the Rolex 24 at Daytona to sprint-race formats. His reports include prototype performance reviews, GT class battles, and pit-stop strategy insights for endurance-racing fans.
