Lando Norris triumphantly crossed the checkered flag in Miami, clinching his long-awaited maiden win. However, a little behind his spotlight, his teammate, Oscar Piastri faced a tough Sunday, encountering a string of setbacks that prevented him from a points finish. Despite grappling with both Carlos Sainz and the limitations of his McLaren car, Piastri showed remarkable competitiveness.
McLaren had modestly upgraded the car during the winter, with expectations of significant improvements with their packages throughout the season. And the one they brought in Miami sure made a mark.
Although team principal Andrea Stella tempered expectations before the race, Norris‘ win and Piastri’s performance in qualifying and the Sprint caught attention.
Stella praised Piastri’s prowess, noting his impressive speed while not having the full equipment. Quoted by Speedcafe, the proud team boss stated,
“Oscar comes out of [Miami] even more conscious of his strengths as a driver… Consider that he didn’t have the full package – and let me pay proper credit to Oscar, the gap he had to Lando in qualifying is smaller than the difference of the package he had.”
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Acknowledging a need to refine race pace, particularly managing tires, Stella shared his notes. In Miami, Piastri demonstrated progress by pressuring Max Verstappen early on. Thus, the Australian driver is ready for the full boost in Imola, and it could be a dangerous mix for rivals. “He comes out of [Miami] with this sort of convictions… For me, he’s in a very strong place.”
Oscar Piastri deserved a shared moment with Lando Norris
In stark comparison to McLaren’s celebration of Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri found himself in 13th place with nothing to celebrate.
Reflecting on the race, Piastri acknowledged the team’s strong performance in the first half but rued the unfortunate timing of the Safety Car. After his race went from bad to worse, Piastri reflected, “Obviously a really good day for the team, they deserved to have both cars up there.”
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Having only a part of the upgrade package and still putting on a stellar performance is no mean feat. But it was just not Piastri’s day in Miami. However, he walked out with his head high and happy for the people in Orange.
“A really encouraging day in terms of the pace and obviously to get a win on pace… So overall mixed emotions, but very, very happy for the team.”, the Aussie said.
Optimistic and encouraged despite his bad luck, Piastri holds on to the pace he and Norris displayed. Despite the mixed emotions, Piastri’s focus now would surely be on stepping on that top step himself.
