“Piastri Isn’t Quite There”: McLaren Driver Excludes Oscar From Fierce Contest in Qatar
The Qatar Grand Prix is set to have fierce competition, as the top four consist of George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri respectively. Only three-tenths of a second separated the quartet in qualifying, which indicates that there could be a close fight for the race win on Sunday night.
Piastri has shown some decent pace this weekend. The Aussie had sealed a P2 finish in the sprint race but instead got the win because of his teammate’s graciousness on Saturday.
Yet, McLaren‘s Formula E driver Sam Bird excluded him from the fight for the Grand Prix win in Qatar. BBC commentator Harry Benjamin thought that it would be a four-way fight with both McLaren drivers being strong contenders.
But Bird feels that it will be a three-way fight with Piastri probably falling back in the pack. “I think that the first three that you said, I think that Piastri’s not quite there at the moment. Something’s been a little bit missing recently.”
Bird claims that Piastri is still a super fast driver, but Norris has overshadowed him across the year except for a couple of races in between. That isn’t entirely true, with the Aussie claiming two race wins and matching the #4 driver’s pace at several races. Regardless, Piastri will have to produce a top-five finish in Qatar to safeguard the team’s interests.
McLaren and Ferrari’s battle for the constructors’ championship has reached its endgame, with both teams looking to end their respective droughts for silverware. So far, McLaren hold the edge over the Italian giants in Qatar.
McLaren can seal the championship in Qatar
The Woking outfit hoped to have a strong performance in Qatar amidst the final triple header of 2024. But Saturday’s qualifying showed that Red Bull and Mercedes are doing slightly better.
It would have been a tougher challenge if McLaren had to deal with either of the two teams for their constructors’ title challenge. But with Ferrari on the back foot in Qatar, all they need to do is beat the Scuderia, which was the case in the sprint race.
Even on the starting grid for the Grand Prix, both McLarens are ahead of the Ferraris. With the Lusail track proving to be tough for the SF-24, the Woking outfit has a chance to seal the constructors’ title before the Abu Dhabi season finale.
But at the same time, Norris also has to keep Charles Leclerc in check, who is chasing him down for the P2 spot in the drivers’ championship. If the Monegasque doesn’t outscore him in Qatar, the #4 driver may have an easier outing in Abu Dhabi next week.
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