Oscar Piastri has given fans the real story on why McLaren's been struggling so badly over the last couple of weekends. The Australian driver admits that Red Bull Racing has now reached Mercedes' level as a top team, which is a massive shift from where we were just a few weeks ago. He reckons the Milton Keynes outfit has worked their way back into serious contention after Max Verstappen's win in Malaysia, marking Red Bull's first victory of the season.

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Things have changed dramatically in the 2026 championship fight. Early on, Mercedes had everyone else beat, with Ferrari as their only real challenger for wins. Then McLaren joined the party midway through the season and looked like they might be the team to beat. But Red Bull's comeback has been something else, and now Piastri's saying they're genuinely in that same bracket as the Silver Arrows when it comes to pure pace.

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It's a sobering admission from the McLaren driver, especially after his team's disappointing showings at Baku and Sepang recently. The pace drop has been noticeable, and Piastri's analysis suggests it's not just a one-race blip. Red Bull have genuinely sorted their act out over the closing stages of the season, and they're looking dangerous heading into Singapore this weekend. With the championship picture getting tighter, McLaren's going to need to figure out their issues fast if they want to stay in the fight.

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The championship battle just got even more spicy with Red Bull back in the mix at the front. Three genuinely competitive teams fighting it out means we're in for some brilliant racing at Marina Bay and beyond. Piastri's frank assessment shows just how quickly the pecking order can shuffle in modern Formula 1, and it's a reminder that no one can afford to take their foot off the gas for even a moment.

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