Oscar Piastri says the Australian Grand Prix pecking order doesn’t essentially mirror how subsequent season will unfold.
There’s intrigue surrounding who will win at the beginning of F1’s new period of guidelines, with Mercedes the bookmakers’ favourite to win the world championship.
Throughout pre-season testing in Bahrain, groups competed within the final pass-the-parcel match to find out who will enter the brand new season within the strongest place.
McLaren crew principal Andrea Stella has insisted that each Mercedes and Ferrari are “a step forward” of the reigning world champions and Crimson Bull.
Nevertheless, Piastri warned that who’s quickest in Melbourne won’t decide the whole 2026 season, and there shall be a fierce improvement battle.
“I believe we’re in a good scenario in the meanwhile,” Piastri, who completed third behind world champions Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, instructed Sky Sports activities F1 final season.
“We’ll know for positive quickly, however I do not assume we’re but within the place we had been in 12 months in the past, once we felt we had been at our strongest.
“I don’t assume this season shall be gained based mostly on who’s the quickest or the most effective within the first race.
“There’s going to be loads of improvement and loads of studying, particularly for us drivers. Whoever can get by it the quickest in a really lengthy season would be the one to return out on high in the long term.”
McLaren has what it takes to catch up
Piastri says McLaren has confirmed up to now that it may possibly bounce again from happening the unsuitable improvement path.
“I believe each time the laws are reset, there are a number of totally different paths to take. I believe we have most likely seen some groups take totally different paths,” the Australian added.
“So it will be attention-grabbing to see who finally ends up being the most effective. If there’s one factor I do know, it is how gifted our crew is, particularly our engineering crew.”
“We have confirmed over the past couple of years how rapidly we will get issues going and the way rapidly we will flip issues round, so I believe we’ll get there it doesn’t matter what guidelines are imposed.”
Piastri heads into his dwelling race seeking to make amends for the frustration of 12 months in the past, when he spun out in moist circumstances and misplaced his possibilities of successful, earlier than preventing again to complete ninth.
The 24-year-old hopes the distinctive nature of the Albert Park observe will current his crew with totally different challenges than conventional circuits.
“I believe Melbourne shall be a fairly distinctive problem,” he mentioned.
“With these vehicles, it will likely be tougher at totally different circuits, particularly when it comes to the right way to handle issues like energy items and battery charging.
“So we’ll see the way it goes in Melbourne, but it surely’s positively going to be sophisticated both method.”
