P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Oscar Piastri faces perhaps his biggest test yet as the championship leader starting from sixth on the grid in the United States GP.
Oscar Piastri is facing a significant challenge at the United States Grand Prix to protect his title lead, as he has struggled to perform well at the Circuit of the Americas. Despite being the championship leader, Piastri secured only sixth place on the starting grid, while his rivals Max Verstappen and Lando Norris will start from the front row. Verstappen managed to narrow his points gap to Piastri by eight points after winning the Sprint race and benefiting from the McLaren drivers’ collision. Piastri enters the 19th race with a 22-point lead over Norris and a 55-point lead over Verstappen, but he risks losing ground if he doesn’t score well from his sixth starting position. Piastri has admitted to difficulties finding the right pace compared to his competitors and expressed the challenges of gaining confidence on the demanding circuit during this weekend. The Australian driver acknowledged that while his qualifying laps were decent, they were not enough to secure a better position, emphasizing the tough nature of the track and the need for a strong feel with the car to perform well.
