Team principal Andrea Stella cautions McLaren, albeit buoyed by its first Formula 1 podium of 2026, still has its work cut out to genuinely close the gap to Mercedes.<br>Having finally made the start of a race at the Japanese Grand Prix after crashing out in Australia and suffering from a battery failure in China, McLaren's Oscar Piastri delivered one of his better qualifying laps to take third on ...<a class='more' href='https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/is-mclaren-back-in-the-game-the-factors-behind-its-japan-f1-podium/10809545/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=RSS-F1&utm_term=News&utm_content=www'>Keep reading</a>