Oscar Piastri has expressed that Red Bull Racing has achieved a level of excellence similar to Mercedes in the 2026 Formula 1 season. This statement comes as McLaren experiences a loss of competitiveness in the standings.
The Austrian team introduced significant improvements to their car, the RB22, during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The updates included changes to the sidepods, floor, mirrors, halo, and diffuser, which led Red Bull to achieve the best standings of the season so far.
Max Verstappen was close to George Russell in Baku, despite starting from eighth position, and ended up winning the race in Malaysia. In contrast, McLaren also presented improvements to their MCL40, but the team’s performances were insufficient to remain as victory contenders.
Piastri commented that Mercedes has been very strong throughout the season, noting that the speed of their vehicles in Baku was predictable due to the long straights of the circuit. In contrast, Red Bull’s performance surprised, as he said the changes they made to their car in Baku were significant, allowing Verstappen to compete under adverse conditions.
Despite McLaren’s update, which included similar changes, the team has found difficulties in achieving standout results. Piastri commented he could have reached the podium in Baku if he hadn’t made a mistake in the last laps, and although both McLaren drivers finished outside the top 5 in Sepang, the team expects better performance in Singapore.
Lando Norris has acknowledged that the team has had fuel injection problems, with solutions they hope to have ready for the next race. With an eye on the upcoming Grands Prix, Piastri believes it will be a challenge to quickly adapt to the conditions of the Singapore circuit with the MCL40, a car that has not always shown the best setup.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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