Piastri baffled by sudden grip loss after shock Mexico Q2 exit

Oscar Piastri was left searching for answers after a sudden loss of grip dumped him out of Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying in Q2. The McLaren driver will start 13th, seven places behind teammate Lando Norris, who qualified sixth.

Why it matters:

Piastri’s early exit derails a weekend that had looked promising and leaves him with a recovery drive at a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult. With Norris carrying McLaren’s hopes in Q3, Piastri must find a way through the field.

The details:

• Piastri ended Q1 fourth and as the lead McLaren, suggesting he had the pace to progress comfortably.
• In Q2, a mistake at Turn 7 forced him to abandon his first lap on new tyres. His eventual best was only one-hundredth quicker than his Q1 time.
• He reported “no grip” in Q2 and said the balance was “completely the opposite” to what he had at the start of qualifying.
• Small tweaks between runs did not explain the drastic change, leaving him with “some questions to answer.”

What's next:

Piastri is targeting the 800-plus-metre run to Turn 1 to salvage his race. But with passing so hard in Mexico, making up places off the line may be his best opportunity.