P1racenews AI automatic summary:
It would be easy to see Oscar Piastri’s struggles at Interlagos as part of his wider struggle for form in recent races – but Jon Noble’s found some specific things with this track that hurt Piastri more than others
Oscar Piastri’s Brazilian Grand Prix weekend was filled with challenges due to a sprint crash and a 10-second penalty in the main race for a clash with Kimi Antonelli. Despite his setbacks, McLaren’s Lando Norris outperformed him with a pole position and victory.
Although Piastri showed speed in optimal Friday conditions, his performance declined after the sprint where his crash occurred while battling for second place. Piastri struggled with unusual tire behavior affecting grip, favoring Norris’s driving style that handles a sliding car better.
Piastri expressed confusion over the weekend’s grip levels, especially with the peculiar behavior of the soft tires, hindering his performance improvement during qualifying.
Changes to the Interlagos track, like drainage grooves, posed additional challenges for Piastri. These grooves reduced tire contact with the track, increasing degradation and impacting car setups.
The restrictions imposed by the tight performance window of F1 cars made overcoming these track changes and setup issues even more crucial for Piastri’s performance.
