McLaren Investigates Piastri's F1 Performance Dip, Links it to Low-Grip Tracks

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella suggests that Oscar Piastri's recent downturn in F1 performance may be attributed to a series of low-grip circuits. This comes after a remarkable start to the season where Piastri held a significant lead over his teammate Lando Norris and even Max Verstappen, only to see that advantage erode significantly in just six races.

Why it matters:

Oscar Piastri's sudden slump is a critical concern for McLaren, especially as the team aims to solidify its position as a front-runner. Understanding and rectifying the cause of this performance drop is crucial for Piastri's development as a top-tier F1 driver and for McLaren's competitive aspirations in the Constructors' Championship.

The details:

• Dramatic Shift: After winning the Dutch GP, Piastri led Norris by 34 points and Verstappen by 104 points. Now, just six races later, Norris leads Piastri by one point, and Verstappen is only 35 points behind him.
• Tough Weekends: Piastri has endured several challenging races, including a crash in Azerbaijan qualifying, a jump start, and a first-lap crash in the race, followed by a shared Turn 1 incident with Norris in the United States GP Sprint.
• Lack of Podium Finishes: He hasn't finished ahead of Norris when both cars completed a race since the Belgian GP in July and hasn't secured a podium since Italy, marking a four-race dry spell.
• Low-Grip Theory: Andrea Stella highlighted investigations pointing to Piastri's struggles in low-grip conditions as a potential cause for his slump.
• Post-Qualifying Analysis: Following Mexico qualifying, extensive data, comment, and video reviews were conducted with Piastri, focusing on how the car needs to be driven in low-grip conditions, similar to Austin.
  • Driving Adaptation: It appears Piastri needs to adapt his driving style to embrace the car sliding more to produce lap time, which isn't his natural approach.
• Adjustments Made: The team identified specific car setup changes and driving adjustments for Piastri, which he reportedly applied effectively in the Mexico race, showing more competitive pace despite being stuck in traffic.

What's next:

This learning experience is vital for Piastri's overall development, adding new tools to his driving arsenal. As the season heads into its final four races, with varying track conditions expected, being prepared for all scenarios will be key for Piastri and McLaren. Resolving these low-grip challenges could unlock his full potential and help McLaren maintain its strong form.