After a challenging qualifying session, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri will line up 8th on the grid for the Las Vegas GP.
Not making the step in Q3 like competitors
The McLaren duo, Piastri and his teammate Lando Norris, who starts P6, had shown strong form through Q1 and Q2 but seemed to lose momentum in Q3, falling behind their closest competitors as they couldn’t make the gains other teams did.
“I think Q1 and Q2 we were relatively optimistic to be honest, just in Q3 we were nowhere and I don’t fully get why yet,” Piastri admitted after qualifying for the Las Vegas GP.
Low grip
The Australian acknowledged that the temperatures made tyre preparation difficult, a challenge McLaren couldn’t fully overcome, even though other teams managed to adapt.
Piastri was in fact slower in Q3 compared to Q2, losing 0.009s of lap time.
“The first run was on a used set of tyres but that wasn’t a problem in Q2, but we really struggled and then the new set at the end, I just about managed the lap time I did in Q2.
“So yeah, everyone else found that extra step and we couldn’t, so I think that’s probably the biggest thing for us to try and defend.”
The driver from Melbourne had difficulty pinpointing exactly why the car lacked the one-lap pace needed to compete with the top teams, suggesting the McLaren simply wasn’t performing at the same level.
“The car feels reasonable to be honest, just low grip which is the same for everybody, but it’s just not as quick as some of our competitors this weekend.”
Optimistic about race pace
When asked about McLaren’s prospects in the race, Piastri expressed confidence in their long-run pace based on practice data.
However, he cautioned that managing tyre wear would be crucial given the anticipated stint lengths on the medium tyres.
“Race pace I’m a bit more optimistic. My long run yesterday was good, but for everyone it was only 6 or 7 laps and we’re probably going to have to go a lot longer than that on a medium tomorrow, which is going to be tough for everybody, but I think for us in particular.”
The 23-year-old also noted that the shuffled grid wasn’t entirely unexpected, given the results at the same circuit last year.
While the starting positions leave McLaren on the back foot, Piastri expects opportunities to make up ground during the race, particularly with overtaking chances likely to arise.
Heading into the race, McLaren faces a critical task in defending their position at the top of the Constructors’ Championship standings.
With Ferrari hot on their heels, and their drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc starting from P2 and P4, the team will be looking to limit the damage and capitalize on any mid-race opportunities.
For Piastri, turning a difficult Friday into a productive Saturday will be key.
