Formule-1 : Piastri warns McLaren's progress still lags behind Mercedes, Ferrari

Oscar Piastri sets the fastest lap during Friday’s practice at Albert Park, but he warns McLaren remains behind Mercedes and Ferrari. Piastri’s blistering FP2 time leaves him two tenths ahead of Kimi Antonelli, while George Russell stays close. Despite the headline lap, he acknowledges challenges in the new 2026 technical landscape. “FP1 was tricky,” Piastri states, revealing reliability issues affected both cars. The afternoon session shows promise, but he cautions against overestimating McLaren’s position. Piastri believes the team is just a step behind the front-runners. Lando Norris struggles, completing only seven laps in FP1 and finishes seventh in FP2, a second slower than Piastri. Despite the challenges, Norris remains optimistic about McLaren’s chances heading into qualifying. The competition intensifies as teams adapt to the new regulations and seek the perfect balance between combustion and electric power.