McLaren Poised To Have The Best Car In 2026 F1 Season, Says Norris

McLaren showed signs of recovery at the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, as Oscar Piastri led second practice and Lando Norris expressed firm belief that the team can again produce the strongest Formula One car in 2026, despite an unreliable start and early dominance from Mercedes and Ferrari.

Piastri, who missed both opening races of the 2026 Formula One season because of power unit problems in China, responded by going fastest in Friday’s second session at Suzuka. The Australian headed the times ahead of Mercedes pair Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, while Norris took fourth place.

McLaren set to have best car in 2026 F1 season

Norris has yet to win the Japanese Grand Prix after six attempts and has led only one lap at Suzuka, yet the reigning world champion remains upbeat. Norris pointed to McLaren’s recent record of mid-season progress and the team’s recovery during the 2024 campaign.

Norris reflected on that turnaround, saying: "I can't remember how many points we were behind Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari in 2024, but I think we were 115 points or something behind, and we still managed to come back and win the constructors'."

Norris then set out the immediate ambitions for McLaren. "What we are thinking of is getting on the podium first of all, and then just returning to winning races. The points then take care of themselves, and we'll see what we can claw back. But we're confident in that."

Norris entered 2026 as Formula One world champion after McLaren claimed both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles in 2025, having also secured the 2024 constructors’ crown. That success followed a major push with in-season upgrades, which allowed McLaren to overhaul Red Bull during the 2024 campaign.

The title defence has begun poorly. New regulations for 2026 have so far favoured Mercedes and Ferrari, whose drivers filled the top four positions at both opening rounds. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli each took one victory, while Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc joined them on the podium once.

McLaren’s troubles peaked at the Chinese Grand Prix, where both Norris and Piastri failed to start because of power unit issues. Norris then lost almost all of first practice at Suzuka due to a hydraulic leak, yet still lapped quicker than Hamilton and Leclerc in second practice.

McLaren belief, Piastri progress and rivals’ struggles

Norris underlined faith in McLaren’s development strength. "I want to say I think we're confident as a team, and we believe in ourselves. We've won the last two [constructors'] championships, and we won the drivers' last year because we could build the best car on the grid, and I'm confident we can get back to doing that this year."

Norris added a note of caution. "It just takes time. You have to be patient. But yes, I have a good belief in the team, and I think we can have the best car this year."

Piastri has faced significant reliability and incident issues in recent months, with four retirements or disqualifications in the last 10 races, one more than across the first 62 starts of Piastri’s Formula One career. The clean Suzuka sessions therefore offered a welcome change for the Australian driver.

Assessing Friday, Piastri said: "Overall, it was a decent day for us. We felt like we made some good progress, particularly in the second practice session, which was encouraging. The feeling is positive, and we've gathered some valuable data that puts us in a solid position."

Piastri also stressed the strength of the opposition. "We know there's still work to do, and it's clear that some of our competitors, especially Mercedes, are very strong. However, the focus is on our own performance. We hope to build on the progress from today and carry that momentum forward to be even more competitive."

While McLaren searched for momentum, Red Bull endured another difficult practice day. Max Verstappen placed 10th in the second session and ended more than one second slower than Piastri, adding to signs that Red Bull still lack performance under the new rules at this stage.

The overall picture after Friday at Suzuka shows Mercedes and Ferrari still leading the way on 2026 form, yet McLaren’s pace lift and stronger reliability across practice improved internal confidence. Norris and Piastri now look to turn that step into a sustained challenge as the season continues.