McLaren explains why Oscar Piastri has been struggling at F1 Brazil GP
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has shed light on the reasons behind Oscar Piastri's struggles at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where he has been outperformed by his teammate Lando Norris.
Piastri's lack of pace has been evident in the past few races, and this trend continued at Interlagos. He was outqualified by Norris in all qualifying segments, with a significant deficit ranging from 0.043s in Q2 to 0.390s in Q1, and an average deficit of 0.247s across the six phases. The Australian's performance in the sprint race was also affected, as he crashed out of third place after touching a wet kerb on lap six, widening his championship deficit to Norris by nine points.
Stella attributed Piastri's struggles to the poor grip conditions induced by rain showers, which made it challenging for the 24-year-old driver. He noted that the techniques required to drive the car fast in such conditions were similar to those needed in Austin and Mexico, and that Piastri was still learning and adapting to these techniques.
The Italian principal also highlighted that Lando Norris, who has been struggling with his new car's behavior earlier in the season, found it more natural to perform in the low-grip conditions. He explained that it's a learning process for Piastri, who is known for his rapid learning abilities, and expressed confidence in his ability to improve.
The team principal also addressed the question of why Piastri's low-grip problem hadn't been tackled earlier, attributing it to the unique nature of the conditions and the competitive nature of the sport, where the difference is often in the last one percent. He also mentioned that Piastri's previous experience in Brazil was limited, and the conditions can vary subtly from year to year.
Despite Piastri's struggles, Norris will start the Brazilian GP from pole position, with Piastri in fourth on the grid.
