Regardless of a disappointing weekend for Oscar Piastri, McLaren workforce boss Andrea Stella hopes that the Australian “managed so as to add extra instruments to his toolbox when it comes to driving the automotive shortly in these particular low-grip circumstances.”
Lando Norris dominated qualifying to safe pole place for the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix. The McLaren driver then had an amazing getaway from pole and held the lead via the primary nook.
Based mostly on the Friday’s long-run simulation, it was not shocking to see Norris drive off into the gap. Regardless of managing his tyres, his lead grew and grew from second-places Charles Leclerc.
The McLaren driver completed over 30 seconds forward of the Ferrari driver, securing his sixth win of the season. Along with that, he has additionally taken the lead within the Championship by only one level.
His team-mate Oscar Piastri endured a troublesome qualifying, and he misplaced additional locations at first. Though he picked off the Purple Bull of Yuki Tsunoda within the opening levels of the race to climb as much as ninth, he spent the vast majority of the primary half of the race caught behind the Mercedes drivers.
He confirmed a extra encouraging efficiency on Pirelli’s mediums which enabled him to climb again to P5. He even closed within the Haas of Ollie Bearman however acquired caught and pitted a second time. On recent tyres, he simply ran out of time to chase down Bearman for the fourth place he desperately wanted to carry onto the Championship lead.
Commenting on McLaren’s weekend, workforce boss Andrea Stella mentioned: “A powerful weekend in Mexico with a dominant efficiency and deserved victory by Lando, confirming that we’ve been capable of extract the efficiency potential throughout the MCL39.
“This weekend’s efficiency is necessary affirmation of our competitiveness and gives the workforce with robust encouragement for the upcoming races.
“Lando had a unbelievable weekend, discovering tempo within the automotive proper from the beginning of his operating right here in Mexico. It was a pleasure to see Lando driving the way in which he has this weekend, delivering a superb Pole lap and a commanding victory.”
In distinction, Oscar Piastri seemed to battle throughout the observe classes, and the Australian solely certified eighth on Saturday. Though he inherited a spot on the grid due to a five-place grid penalty for Williams driver Carlos Sainz, he misplaced additional locations at first.
“There have been additionally promising indicators from Oscar’s aspect [on Sunday]. He put up battle racing in site visitors all afternoon and was in a position so as to add extra instruments to his toolbox by adopting some changes primarily based on what we realized all through the weekend, when it comes to driving the automotive shortly in these particular low-grip circumstances.
“Thanks to all of the workforce trackside and in Woking, in addition to HPP, for the unimaginable assist and arduous work all through the weekend. We are going to now debrief the double-header as a workforce and reset earlier than turning our consideration to Brazil as we enter the ultimate 4 races of an thrilling season for Formulation 1.”
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