Piastri Acknowledges ‘Average’ Friday as McLaren Targets Red bull Challenge in Mexico City
Mexico City, Mexico – Oscar Piastri conceded a “pretty average” first practise session in Mexico City, finishing 12th in FP2, but remains optimistic McLaren can challenge Red Bull‘s dominance at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this weekend. The McLaren driver emphasized the team identified and addressed issues stemming from a arduous weekend at the circuit of The Americas, aiming for a more consistent performance leading into Saturday’s qualifying session.
Piastri’s comments come as the Formula 1 championship battle intensifies, with Max Verstappen leading the standings and McLaren seeking to close the gap. A strong showing in Mexico is crucial for both teams as the season nears its conclusion. The Australian’s ability to extract more pace from the MCL38 will be key to McLaren’s hopes of contending for a podium finish and potentially disrupting Verstappen’s championship trajectory.
The 22-year-old explained that several small adjustments have been made following analysis of their performance in Austin. “Yeah, there were a few things that we identified from Austin,” Piastri said. “I think obviously it was a pretty messy weekend as well, so [there were] plenty of things that we found – all small things but when you put them all together they add up, so I think we’ve got a good handle on last week.”
Despite a challenging FP2, Piastri expressed confidence in McLaren’s potential to compete with Red Bull. When asked if McLaren could match the pace of the championship leaders at this track, he responded positively, stating, “I think so, yeah. It’s going to be tight like always, but I think we’ve got a good car underneath us.” The nine-time race winner will look to translate that belief into improved results during Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions.
