SHANGHAI – McLaren driver Oscar Piastri believes that his Formula One team can break the dominance of champions Red Bull and win grands prix as early as 2025.
Since F1’s current set of technical regulations came into force in 2022, Red Bull have swept all before them, taking every title on offer and winning 42 of 49 grands prix, including all but one in 2023 – at the Singapore Grand Prix.
This season, three-time world champion Max Verstappen has won four of five races so far, with the exception of the Australian Grand Prix won by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
With the current regulations set to remain largely static until 2026, many within the F1 paddock have suggested that other teams will not realistically be able to challenge Red Bull until then.
However, Piastri said he was optimistic of reaching the top step of the podium by 2025, adding that the chasing pack were closer to Red Bull this campaign than they had been in 2023.
“I think wins can be achieved before (2026). Even though Red Bull are still a step ahead of everybody, I think we are getting closer,” the Australian told Xinhua.
“If you look at Japan, last year I qualified second, half a second behind Max, and this year I was about half a second behind and I was sixth, so I feel like everybody is getting closer.”
That said, the 23-year-old is wary that there is still work to be done to catch Red Bull.
“We still have a bit of a step to make, but everybody is optimistic that we can try and catch them, potentially this year, and really try to mount a challenge next season,” he said.
“2026 will be a very big reset for everybody, but there is genuine belief at McLaren that we can win races before those regulations come in.”
Piastri was speaking to Xinhua before last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, where he finished eighth, although his teammate Lando Norris scored McLaren’s best result of 2024 with a fine drive to second, splitting the Red Bulls.
McLaren had struggled badly in the first half of 2023, with Norris and Piastri combining for only 29 points across the first nine races of the year.
But a raft of mid-season updates transformed the competitiveness of the MCL60, and from Round 10 onwards, the duo notched 273 points, including nine podium finishes, with Piastri also notably winning the Qatar sprint event.
McLaren finished the campaign in fourth, behind Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari respectively.
“The start of this season has been a much better starting point than the start of last year, and we’re optimistic that we’ve been able to show the development we showed last year,” Piastri added. XINHUA
