P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Oscar Piastri suffered a significant blow on Saturday in Mexico as he struggled for pace during qualifying in Mexico.
Oscar Piastri expressed his concerns following a challenging qualifying session at the Mexican Grand Prix, where he posted the eighth fastest lap time in Q3, with his teammate Lando Norris clinching pole position.
Despite his performance, Piastri will move up one spot on the grid on Sunday due to a grid penalty for Carlos Sainz, but Norris has consistently outperformed him throughout the weekend, narrowing the gap in the championship standings.
Piastri raised alarms at McLaren, as he felt mystified by the noticeable difference in lap times between himself and his teammate, attributing his struggles to an unidentified issue affecting his performance.
The Australian driver’s difficulties extend beyond Mexico, as he faced setbacks in the US as well, allowing Norris to close in on him in the drivers’ standings.
Piastri acknowledged the similarity in his struggles but noted that the consistency of the performance gap in Mexico was surprising, leaving him puzzled despite feeling he had delivered competitive laps throughout the weekend.
