P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Oscar Piastri is convinced that starting further down the order relative to McLaren’s true pace denied him a better chance at winning the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix. McLaren was considered the top contender at Spa-Francorchamps, despite being hamstrung when using a set-up tailored towards drier conditions in a wet qualifying. However, Lando Norris wrecked […]
Despite McLaren being favored at Spa-Francorchamps, their chances were hindered by a setup mismatch for wet conditions during qualifying. Lando Norris’ error at Turn 1 dashed his hopes, while Piastri fell short after catching up to the Mercedes drivers towards the end of the race. Piastri managed to pass Perez and Leclerc, but couldn’t overtake Hamilton, who was later overtaken by George Russell due to a strategic pit stop decision. Piastri, who eventually finished second, believed McLaren failed to leverage their one-lap pace to the fullest. Contemplating a one-stop strategy, he was deterred by concerns about tyre degradation and the difficulty of overtaking in dirty air.
Piastri managed to make a crucial move on Leclerc at Les Combes, recognizing it as a pivotal moment in the race that enabled him to secure third place. Despite feeling strong throughout the weekend and regretting a qualifying mistake, Piastri considered it one of his better races.
