Fourth on the grid at Zandvoort, Oscar Piastri remains behind Lando Norris but claims to have found a much more natural McLaren to drive.
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Oscar Piastri was unable to keep up with the pace of Lando Norris during the qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix. While his teammate secured pole position at Zandvoort, the Australian had to settle for fourth place, behind the Mercedes of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
A result that might seem disappointing, but Piastri mainly notes the progress made in his feeling behind the wheel of the MCL40. After several difficult weekends during which he struggled to fully exploit his car, the McLaren driver feels he has found a much more predictable behavior.
“Overall, I am much more satisfied with the car this weekend, which is positive” explains Piastri.
Piastri regains a more natural behavior
Since the start of the season, Piastri has regularly experienced more difficulties than Norris in extracting the last tenths from the McLaren. At Zandvoort, the gap remains visible since the reigning world champion took pole, but the Australian’s feelings have evolved in the right direction.
Rather than trying to find time in almost every corner, Piastri now manages to clearly identify the strengths and weaknesses of his car.
“I feel like I have returned to a more normal pace, with strengths in some corners and weaknesses in others, rather than just trying to find time everywhere. It’s enjoyable.”
McLaren also took advantage of the parc fermé reopening after the Sprint to try to improve the behavior of its car in race configuration.
“We were not very competitive at the end of the Sprint, so we wanted to improve a bit and, hopefully, we succeeded. We will have to wait for the race to know.”
Tire degradation remains McLaren’s weak point
The main concern is precisely the pace over long stints. During the Sprint, Norris started in second position but was eventually overtaken by Charles Leclerc before having to resist Kimi Antonelli in the final laps.
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Piastri also lacked pace and finished fifth. According to the Australian, the problem could come from a lack of aerodynamic downforce or certain balance characteristics of the MCL40.
“Scientifically, I don’t really have an explanation, he admits. But I think that, overall, we probably still lack a bit of downforce compared to some of our rivals, or at least certain characteristics in terms of balance.”
The McLaren seems particularly dependent on the grip offered by new tires.
“We rely heavily on the grip of new tires to improve our balance and perhaps pay more of a price when the tires start to degrade.”
A race that could become difficult
This weakness is a major concern ahead of the 72 laps of the Grand Prix. Unlike qualifying, where the maximum grip of new tires masks some defects, their progressive degradation could expose more the limits of the McLaren.
Piastri therefore hopes that the changes made after the Sprint will allow the British team to better preserve its performance over the long run.
“I hope we have improved for tomorrow, because if we show the same pace as during the Sprint, the race will be tough.”
Starting from fourth position, Piastri will nevertheless have an immediate opportunity to join the fight with Norris and the two Mercedes, provided that the progress seen in his feeling also translates over long stints.
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