McLaren heads to Montreal with new updates and growing confidence: Oscar Piastri, in particular, sees a real chance of victory against Mercedes
Formula 1 team McLaren believes it is “close” to championship leader Mercedes and is calculating its chances of victory ahead of the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri said: “If we execute perfectly, then we can win. We just haven’t fully executed it yet. Under different circumstances or with different team decisions, we could have won the last two races.” That’s why Piastri expects an “interesting” race weekend in Canada.
World champion Lando Norris, on the other hand, doesn’t want to promise too much: “Because we were already significantly better in Miami, many think we could challenge Mercedes here. We’ll certainly give it our all, but Mercedes has been strong here over the past three, four, five years.”
Mercedes’ track record in Montreal
Although the Mercedes team has won only once in Montreal since 2022, it has always had at least one driver in the top 3. In 2025, George Russell won and Kimi Antonelli finished third. In 2026, the Mercedes drivers are considered the favorites—partly because the team will be using an upgraded version of the W17 in Canada, after many other teams already upgraded in Miami.
“It will be interesting to see how the balance of power develops,” said Piastri. “We also have a lot of new parts on the car again. And while we didn’t start the season optimally, we’ve since found our rhythm.”
However, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal has “not necessarily” been among the best tracks for McLaren in recent years. “Especially not in 2025,” explained Piastri. Last year, his teammate Norris, of all people, crashed into the back of his car. Norris subsequently retired, while Piastri finished fourth.
McLaren is banking on its track record in development
This year, the outlook is different—primarily due to the further development of the cars. “First, we need to understand how our new parts from Miami perform on a track with significantly less grip,” said Norris. “We also need to make sure our Montreal updates take the car to the next level. But we’re confident about that.”
Piastri shares this assessment: “We don’t know what’s happening with the competition, but over the past three or four years, we’ve always had great confidence in our development work. When the data promised progress, it usually worked out. Hopefully, that will continue this weekend.“ For Piastri, that would be a ”very good sign for the rest of the season.“
Either way: According to Piastri, the upcoming races will provide a ”clearer picture” of who can realistically hope to contend for the title for the rest of the Formula 1 season. Until then, Norris in particular wants to maximize his points haul.
Why every single point counts in the title fight
Norris said: “I learned in 2025 that every single race counts—even if you think you’re not involved in the title fight at all. But by the end of the season, you might suddenly find yourself right in the thick of it. Look at Max Verstappen. But you learn that over time: a single point could make the difference. A slightly better qualifying session, one fewer mistake—it all adds up over the course of the season.”
That’s why Norris considers the Canadian Grand Prix important, but not the “definitive benchmark” for whether McLaren can be a title contender in 2026. “Of course, we’re working toward the World Championship every weekend. But whether we’re actually capable of winning on a given weekend is another question. And even 50 points behind, you can still be in the title fight. That’s why we’ll keep giving it our all.”
