Regardless of a disappointing weekend for Oscar Piastri, McLaren group boss Andrea Stella hopes that the Australian “managed so as to add extra instruments to his toolbox when it comes to driving the automobile rapidly 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 excellent 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 space. 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 tricky qualifying, and he misplaced additional locations in the beginning. Though he picked off the Crimson Bull of Yuki Tsunoda within the opening phases of the race to climb as much as ninth, he spent nearly all 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 obtained caught and pitted a second time. On contemporary 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, group boss Andrea Stella mentioned: “A robust weekend in Mexico with a dominant efficiency and deserved victory by Lando, confirming that now we have been capable of extract the efficiency potential throughout the MCL39.
“This weekend’s efficiency is essential affirmation of our competitiveness and offers the group with sturdy encouragement for the upcoming races.
“Lando had a unbelievable weekend, discovering tempo within the automobile proper from the beginning of his working 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 appeared to battle throughout the apply periods, and the Australian solely certified eighth on Saturday. Though he inherited a spot on the grid because of a five-place grid penalty for Williams driver Carlos Sainz, he misplaced additional locations in the beginning.
“There have been additionally promising indicators from Oscar’s facet [on Sunday]. He put up a very good struggle racing in site visitors all afternoon and was ready 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 automobile rapidly in these particular low-grip circumstances.
“Thanks to all of the group trackside and in Woking, in addition to HPP, for the unbelievable help and exhausting work all through the weekend. We are going to now debrief the double-header as a group 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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