[Saba Sports News] Following the qualifying session for the Canadian Grand Prix Sprint, discussions over Ferrari’s blistering race starts have flared up again across the paddock. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have repeatedly gained ground off the line this season. Many teams have grown wary of the SF-26’s advantages in clutch engagement and power delivery.
Despite the widespread talk of Ferrari’s dominance at starts, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri begs to differ. In Montreal’s Sprint qualifying, Mercedes drivers locked out the front row, with McLaren drivers third and fourth, and Ferrari drivers fifth and sixth.
Ferrari’s car has surged towards the front right after the start in almost every race this season, except for the Miami Sprint. Even so, Piastri insists McLaren actually holds the edge in race starts. He stated in an interview that his team has delivered better starts than Ferrari all year round. Full of confidence, he keeps his focus on the Mercedes cars ahead rather than Ferrari behind. Piastri’s outspoken remarks have quickly sparked debate throughout the paddock.
In my opinion, Piastri’s comments come as a mix of psychological tactics and confidence backed by partial data. The real gap lies not in who has stronger starts, but whether that advantage can be turned into track position at crucial moments. In this regard, Ferrari has held a slight upper hand so far this season.