Formula One world champion Lando Norris is confident McLaren can return to having the best car on the grid this season, despite a stuttering start to their campaign.

McLaren's 2026 challenge is yet to truly get going, and that was the case all too literally last time out at the Chinese Grand Prix, as power unit issues prevented both Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri from starting the race.

Sweeping rule changes for this campaign have, so far, looked to favour Mercedes and Ferrari, with their drivers making up the top four at each of the two races thus far.

The Silver Arrows' duo of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have one win apiece, while Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have followed that duo on the podium once each.

But McLaren have proven adept at introducing in-season upgrades in recent years, including when they fought back to overhaul Red Bull for the 2024 constructors' championship.

And it looks like they may have had a turning point, with Piastri, who has been unable to compete in either of the first two races of the 2026 F1 season, topping the practice timesheet in Friday's second practice.

Mercedes had initially dominated the first session, but McLaren moved ahead in the second hour thanks to the Australian, who finished ahead of the Mercedes pair Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

Norris, meanwhile, was fourth, finishing despite missing almost all of the first session due to a hydraulic leak on his car, going round faster than both Ferraris in Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Recalling McLaren's previous triumphs after tough starts, Norris – who has never won the Japanese Grand Prix in six attempts and has only led for a single lap at Suzuka overall – outlined his confidence that things will turn around.

"I can't remember how many points we were behind Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari in 2024, but I think we were 115 points or something behind, and we still managed to come back and win the constructors'," said Norris.

"What we are thinking of is getting on the podium first of all, and then just returning to winning races. 

Friday practice #McLarenF1 | #JapaneseGP  pic.twitter.com/yiNHXQjQy4

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"The points then take care of themselves, and we'll see what we can claw back. But we're confident in that.

"I want to say I think we're confident as a team, and we believe in ourselves. We've won the last two [constructors'] championships, and we won the drivers' last year because we could build the best car on the grid, and I'm confident we can get back to doing that this year.

"It just takes time. You have to be patient. But yes, I have a good belief in the team, and I think we can have the best car this year."

Piastri has been forced out by a mechanical failure, accident or disqualification in four of his last 10 races, one more than in his first 62 in the competition.

Having seemingly put his early-season struggles behind him for the time being, Piastri noted the mood had improved, though he was reluctant to get too far ahead of himself. 

"Overall, it was a decent day for us," Piastri said. 

"We felt like we made some good progress, particularly in the second practice session, which was encouraging. The feeling is positive, and we've gathered some valuable data that puts us in a solid position.

"We know there's still work to do, and it's clear that some of our competitors, especially Mercedes, are very strong. 

"However, the focus is on our own performance. We hope to build on the progress from today and carry that momentum forward to be even more competitive."

It was another frustrating day for Red Bull, with Max Verstappen finishing 10th fastest in the second session, over a full second behind Piastri.