Piastri's "Not Natural" Driving Style Explained Post-Mexico GP Struggles

Oscar Piastri faced a challenging Mexico Grand Prix, revealing that recent changes to his McLaren's characteristics have forced him to adopt a driving style he finds "not natural." This shift, he believes, is a key factor behind his recent form and losing the championship lead to teammate Lando Norris. Despite efforts to experiment with his technique during the race, heavy traffic hindered a clear assessment of his adjustments.

Why it matters:

• Piastri's struggle highlights the delicate balance between driver adaptability and car evolution in F1. Even minor car changes can significantly impact a driver's comfort and performance, potentially altering championship dynamics.
• Losing the championship lead to Norris for the first time since April underscores the intensity of their intra-team battle and the fine margins at the top of the sport.

The Details:

• Piastri finished fifth in Mexico, recovering from an opening lap incident to mitigate damage to his points lead over Max Verstappen, but was significantly behind Norris throughout the weekend.
• He experimented with various driving styles during the race but found it difficult to gauge their effectiveness due to consistently being stuck in traffic.
• Piastri noted that the last "couple of weekends" have demanded a "very different way of driving" compared to what had worked well for him in the preceding 19 races.
• He described the required driving style as "not particularly natural for me," indicating a struggle to adapt to the car's current behavior.
• The Virtual Safety Car near the end of the race halted his charge behind Oliver Bearman, preventing a potential challenge for fourth place that would have kept him in the championship lead.

What's next:

• Piastri plans to meticulously analyze the race data to understand why his car has demanded such a different approach and whether his in-race experiments yielded any positive steps.
• The focus will be on unlocking the car's inherent pace in a way that aligns better with his natural driving style, or further adapting his technique.
• The team will likely work with Piastri to address these car characteristics, aiming to restore his comfort and competitive edge as the season progresses.