Piastri Uncertain of McLaren's Pace After Disrupted Las Vegas Practice

Oscar Piastri expressed uncertainty about McLaren's competitive standing after a heavily disrupted Friday practice in Las Vegas, where red flags and track evolution limited his running, particularly in FP2.

Why it matters:

McLaren has shown strong form recently, and understanding their true pace in a unique environment like Las Vegas is crucial for their championship aspirations. Piastri's struggle to gather meaningful data could impact setup decisions for qualifying and the race, potentially ceding an advantage to rivals on a circuit where track evolution is a major factor.

The details:

• FP1 saw significant track evolution due to a dusty surface, making early lap times less representative.
• FP2 was severely impacted by two late red flags, preventing many drivers, including Piastri, from completing crucial soft-tire hot laps.
• Piastri finished FP2 in 14th position, while his teammate Lando Norris topped the session.
• Piastri completed only two laps in FP2, severely limiting his data collection and understanding of the car's performance on the soft compound.
• Despite the lack of running, Piastri acknowledged the car showed "decent pace" but emphasized the difficulty in gauging McLaren's true position due to incomplete soft-tire runs across the grid.

What's next:

Piastri remains confident that the continued track evolution throughout the weekend will mitigate his limited preparation. McLaren will need to analyze the available data and make informed setup changes for Saturday's qualifying, where getting a clean run will be paramount to capitalize on any underlying pace the MCL38 might possess. The weather on Saturday could also introduce another variable, adding to the challenge of optimizing the car and driver performance.