Oscar Piastri defends McLaren’s rear wing choice, emphasizing its effectiveness in enhancing grip despite reduced speed in rainy Interlagos conditions.
Oscar Piastri remains unwavering in his belief that McLaren F1’s decision to revert to a high-downforce rear wing for Sunday’s rain-hit race was sound, despite the impressive performance of the new rear wing configuration showcased in the dry conditions of Friday and Saturday at Interlagos.
Reflecting on the early stages of the race, the Australian driver noted that while straight-line speed was somewhat lacking, this did not pose a significant obstacle to overtaking.
“Our top-end speed may not have been stellar, but I don’t think that was our primary issue,” Piastri remarked. “We clearly made gains through the corners with the increased downforce, yet it wasn’t quite sufficient.”
He added, “We need to deepen our understanding because, in the first half of the race, our pace was strong; however, as it progressed, both cars started to struggle.”
McLaren opted for the high-downforce rear wing configuration, enhancing grip and traction at the expense of some top speed. “I wouldn’t say it was a limiting factor. In qualifying, it certainly provided an advantage,” Piastri noted.
“With the additional downforce during the race, we should have had the upper hand for much of the lap. In the initial phase, yes, one could argue it held us back slightly as we were trapped behind other cars.”
“Yet, in the second half, we were no longer in traffic; we were simply slow. I believe that, regardless of the rear wing choice, our finishing position in the latter half of the race wouldn’t have improved.”
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