Oscar Piastri catches Lando Norris’s attention as he turns his gaze in another direction.
Miami GP winner Lando Norris benefitted from the full McLaren MCL38 upgrade package, but it turns out that team-mate Oscar Piastri neutralised that advantage and then some over one lap.
In Miami, Norris made history by securing his first Formula 1 race win, stealing the spotlight. However, it was his teammate Piastri who truly impressed in the initial phase of the race. The Australian driver relentlessly applied pressure on the race leader Max Verstappen, who was aiming for his fifth win of the season.
Oscar Piastri to Lando Norris qualifying gap smaller than package difference
Piastri narrowly trailed Norris in the qualifying session and skillfully capitalized on the chance to secure second place during the fast-paced Miami GP race start. However, the timing of the Safety Car during the race drastically altered the outcome for Norris, favoring him greatly while Piastri faced a reversal of fortune. This turn of events marked a significant shift for the McLaren drivers.
McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella, acknowledged Piastri’s impressive performance during the race weekend. Stella pointed out that Piastri’s qualifying gap to Norris was smaller than expected, considering the upgrades. This realization has given Norris something to ponder as Piastri will also receive the fully-upgraded MCL38 for the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Stella stated that Oscar emerged from Miami with an even greater awareness of his capabilities behind the wheel.
We had an inkling of his speed on a single lap beforehand.
Take into account that he was lacking the complete set of skills – and I must give credit to Oscar, as the gap between him and Lando in qualifying is narrower than the disparity in their skill sets.
Like all drivers with soft tyres, he managed to deliver an exceptional performance over a single lap in extremely challenging conditions.
Once again, he displayed a remarkable performance in the race.
Earlier, Lando expressed his admiration when he witnessed Oscar overtaking a Ferrari, exclaiming, “Wow, we have truly arrived!”
Therefore, Lando had a personal realization, while Oscar maintained a steady pace during the initial phase.
Therefore, I believe he emerges from this experience with a strong sense of determination, particularly regarding the speed at which we address racial issues. This is an area we aimed to enhance after examining Japan and China.
In my opinion, he is in a position of great strength.
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At the Miami GP, Stella addressed the media and provided a detailed explanation of the contrasting MCL38 packages utilized by Piastri and Norris. She also delivered positive news for McLaren by confirming the successful implementation of the upgrades, which were brought to the Miami International Autodrome earlier than anticipated.
Stella stated, “To begin with, I would like to emphasize that both cars have undergone upgrades, in comparison to the specifications we had in China.”
“We enhanced the front of Oscar’s car by installing the front wing, front brake duct, and front suspension. Additionally, we made improvements to the rear brake duct and a small portion of the rear suspension.”
In addition to the sidepods and the floor, we also had them for Lando.
“Both cars have made notable improvements in lap time compared to China.”
According to the data, it is evident that all the upgrades are performing as anticipated. Notably, Lando’s car demonstrates slightly better performance compared to Oscar’s car. Additionally, the sensors, particularly the pressure sensors on the front wing and suspension, are behaving as expected and providing valuable information.
Once again, this is a testament to the commendable efforts of not just the aerodynamic department, but also the design team and all those involved in developing these enhancements and ensuring their timely delivery to the track. We initially believed that this would be achievable for Imola, but we were pleasantly surprised to gain a couple of extra weeks.
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola has everyone’s attention as we await to see if McLaren has emerged as a serious competitor for Red Bull, who have been dominant during F1’s ground effect era.
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