P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Oscar Piastri secured 23 points across the Qatar Grand Prix – courtesy of winning the sprint and finishing third in the race.
Oscar Piastri pointed out that the varying grip levels at the Lusail International Circuit negatively affected McLaren’s performance in the Qatar Grand Prix, leading to Ferrari closing in on the constructors’ title battle set to be decided in Abu Dhabi. Despite McLaren’s promising one-two finish in the sprint race, Lando Norris’ 10-second penalty and grip level differences allowed Ferrari to challenge them. Piastri acknowledged McLaren’s disappointment in falling short of expectations due to the altered grip levels and improvements made by other teams. The Australian driver highlighted the impact of grip levels compared to last year, which diminished some of McLaren’s competitive advantages.
Piastri mentioned that although he anticipated tough competition among the top four teams, he believed McLaren would have been stronger in Qatar. He also addressed the setbacks McLaren faced, including Norris’ penalty and Piastri losing a position to Leclerc due to the timing of their pit stops during a safety car period. Piastri lamented the missed opportunity to secure second place but acknowledged the unpredictable nature of racing luck. Despite the challenges faced, Piastri was pleased with his podium finish and recognized the team’s overall performance.
