Piastri names Red Bull the development benchmark for 2026

Oscar Piastri has named Red Bull the development benchmark in Formula 1 in 2026. Asked in Brazil why McLaren had fallen slightly behind in the development race, he said the leading four teams had become more closely matched.

Piastri rated McLaren's development rate as reasonably good and its summer as strong compared with the start of 2026. He said McLaren had caught some rivals, but that other teams had subsequently caught up with McLaren after the summer. In 2026, McLaren was no longer the outright development benchmark it had been during the previous two seasons, he said; improving its development pace was the team's goal.

Piastri also said McLaren's car was difficult to drive and that this was holding the team back. It could be very quick when driven exactly as required and without mistakes, he said, but achieving that was currently too difficult.

Red Bull's 2026 turnaround is reflected in the results: Max Verstappen won three of the last four races and moved up to second in the drivers' standings after a difficult start to the season. McLaren brought new parts for the Brazil weekend; Piastri hopes they will help.