Quiet throughout the weekend, Oscar Piastri still secured a second consecutive podium with McLaren: the Australian took advantage of a mistake by Charles Leclerc at the end of the race.
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Despite his satisfaction, Piastri remained clear-headed: his teammate Lando Norris was faster throughout the weekend.
However, thanks to the effective upgrades introduced by McLaren, he was able to stay in the fight for the podium.
A solid start, McLaren’s trademark
“In terms of result, I am very happy,” said Oscar. “For a large part of the race, it didn’t look like a podium at all, so finishing third is a very good result. The team did an excellent job with the upgrades.”
He also highlighted the good overall management of the weekend, despite somewhat frustrating qualifying sessions: “I was often missing one or two tenths, which complicated some phases. But I think I maximized the result well after qualifying.”
Unlike Mercedes, the McLaren drivers once again shone at the start. Piastri was already in 4th place by the first lap: “Our starts are a strong point, and this one is another good example.”
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A race in two phases
The Australian driver acknowledged a more difficult first part of the race, before showing much better performance in the second half, especially with the hard tires: “I felt much more comfortable in the second part. The pace was much better and I was able to catch up to George and Charles.”
The technical battle will continue at the next Grand Prix in Montreal. Both McLaren and Mercedes plan to introduce new upgrades there.
Heading to Montreal and the battle of upgrades
Piastri remains cautious about the potential return of Mercedes: “We have to see where we stand depending on the circuits. Mercedes hasn’t upgraded their car much yet, but that will change in Canada.”
Between McLaren’s continuous progress and the expected response from Mercedes, the next round promises to be decisive in the championship hierarchy.
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