Ahead of the 2026 F1 Canadian GP, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have expressed confidence in McLaren’s upgrades but remain cautious about challenging Mercedes for the win.
McLaren did not experience the ideal start to the 2026 F1 season, but appeared to have bounced back after introducing their first upgrade package at the Miami GP. A win for Norris in the Miami sprint and a double podium finish made for a successful weekend for the reigning Constructors’ Champions.
Piastri doubts McLaren can challenge Mercedes at the 2026 F1 Canadian GP
After a competitive showing in Miami, Oscar Piastri remained cautious when asked about a potential fight with Mercedes. The Australian noted that Mercedes has shown strong form at the Canadian GP in recent years, whereas the track was less favorable to McLaren.
“Not necessarily, I think last year or the last few years Mercedes have been very strong here, even when they’ve not had the quickest car across the course of the season. So, we’ll see if that stays true again this weekend. It’s also probably not been our strongest circuit the last couple of years, especially last year, so it’s a pretty unique circuit in the demands it has.”
Piastri is confident that the upgrade will be a “step forward”
While the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve has not been the “strongest” for McLaren in recent years, Piastri feels that if they can be competitive at the 2026 F1 Canadian GP, it’s a “good sign” for the team. Based on McLaren’s track record in the development race, Piastri is confident that the upgrade will be “step forward.”
“I think we’ll find out over the next few races, but I think hopefully we know what our upgrades are bringing in terms of lap time, we don’t know what the others are bringing. But we’ve always been confident in our development the last three or four years that it’s going to do what it says it should and that it’s a great step forward. So, hopefully that continues this weekend. If we are competive here it’s going to be a good sign for us.”
Norris is ready to fight at the Canadian GP, but cautious about McLaren challenging Mercedes
Piastri’s teammate and reigning champion Lando Norris was similarly cautious when it came to challenging Mercedes. The reigning champion told media ahead of the Canadian GP that McLaren would try, but also pointed to Mercedes’ bringing upgrades and their strong track record at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve as reasons for remaining cautious.
“We will certainly give it a good shot. We were certainly closer in Miami. And I think, of course, that leads everyone to quite easily think that we can challenge them here.
“I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves just yet because we know how good Mercedes have been, and not just last year, over the last three, four years, five years. Mercedes have always been incredibly strong here. They also have their upgrades and things.”
Canada will be a test for upgrades after a strong showing in Miami
After McLaren introduced its first upgrades in Miami, the team will bring further upgrades to the 2026 F1 Canadian GP. Given the significant grip differences between Miami and Canada, the Canadian GP will give McLaren the opportunity to assess its upgrades and ensure it is moving in the “right direction.” Norris shared that the team is confident but doesn’t want to get “ahead” of itself.
“And we need to see how the upgrades that we did have in Miami translate to a much lower grip. Miami’s very high grip in general. As a tarmac, the tarmac here is much lower grip. So, we need to just understand how well the car can translate between these two worlds.
“And we have to make sure that the upgrades we’re bringing this weekend also help the car move in the right direction. But we’re confident it will. We just don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. But of course, we want to beat Mercedes. We want to beat everyone on track.”
Norris believes Ferrari and Red Bull could be in the mix this weekend
Looking ahead to the Canadian GP, Norris believes that Ferrari and Red Bull could also be in the mix. He thus says the focus is on getting on top of the upgrades and maximizing the car’s performance. If successful, the reigning Champion is confident that McLaren can give its competitors a “good challenge.”
“I think it’s also a place where you can easily see Ferrari challenge for a good result and then potentially Red Bull at the same time. So, we’re just fully focused on trying to deliver the parts, make sure everything works, get the maximum out of the car. And if we can do that, then I feel confident we can at least give them a good challenge for now.”
