Piastri relieved after McLaren fixes costly Barcelona test issue

Oscar Piastri expressed relief after a smooth Friday morning test session in Barcelona, a welcome change following significant lost time for McLaren due to a fuel system problem on Thursday. The trouble-free running allowed the Australian rookie to complete 80 laps and begin understanding his new MCL38 car.

Why it matters:

Pre-season testing mileage is invaluable, especially for a rookie driver. Losing track time to reliability issues can set back a driver's acclimatization and a team's development program, making Piastri's productive Friday crucial for building momentum before the official Bahrain tests.

The details:

• McLaren's five-day Barcelona test was disrupted, with the team losing the entire Thursday afternoon session due to a fuel system issue on Piastri's car.
• The problem was resolved overnight, allowing Piastri to run uninterrupted on Friday morning.
• He completed 80 laps during the session, posting lap times in the mid-1 minute 17-second range.
• The clean running finally allowed Piastri to "get into a rhythm" and start to genuinely feel the characteristics of the new car.
• The session was used to experiment with different car configurations and settings to gather data for race weekend simulations.

What's next:

The focus now shifts to the official pre-season tests in Bahrain. The productive running in Barcelona, albeit delayed, provides a vital data baseline. Piastri and McLaren will aim to carry this momentum into the final three-day test, where reliability and consistent running will be paramount to ensure they are prepared for the season opener.