Piastri downplays McLaren's 'works team' disadvantage against Mercedes

McLaren's Oscar Piastri acknowledges the inherent benefits of being a works team in Formula 1's new 2026 era but insists his team's close partnership with engine supplier Mercedes HPP negates any significant disadvantage in their title fight.

Why it matters:

The debate over customer versus works team advantages is central to the new regulatory cycle. With engine development now permitted again, the theoretical edge for manufacturers like Mercedes and Ferrari is heightened. Piastri's confidence underscores the critical nature of deep technical partnerships and suggests the competitive gap may be narrower than traditional wisdom assumes.

The details:

• Piastri stated that while being a works team "obviously has its advantages," McLaren's relationship with Mercedes High Performance Powertrains is "very beneficial" and close enough to mitigate any major drawbacks.
• He attributed McLaren's pre-season teething problems during the Barcelona shakedown to general new-car issues, not their customer status.
• The Australian driver pointed to effective utilization of the 13-month pre-homologation development window as the true differentiator, praising Mercedes for their impressive reliability and high lap count during testing.
• Testing Data: Mercedes completed an unofficial 500 laps at the shakedown, compared to McLaren's 291. On lap times, McLaren's Lando Norris was third fastest, 0.25 seconds off the pace set by Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes.

What's next:

The theory will be tested on track as pre-season testing begins in Bahrain. All eyes will be on whether McLaren's integration with Mercedes HPP allows them to match the works team's development pace throughout the season, which begins with the Australian Grand Prix on March 6.