Piastri: No McLaren Panic as Norris Eyes Verstappen Title

Oscar Piastri asserts McLaren’s calm despite Ferrari’s push, maintaining that Norris remains a challenger to Verstappen’s dominance.

Oscar Piastri may not have delivered the expected result in Mexico, but he was “much more satisfied” with his McLaren F1 car than in Austin.

Could this bolster his confidence ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix? Speaking today in São Paulo, he shared his thoughts ahead of tomorrow’s on-track action.

“Yes, much more satisfied! I think in Austin, we had a fast car, but it was extremely challenging to drive. In qualifying, particularly, it was difficult to extract the best from it. In the race, when the lap times are a bit slower, it’s perhaps a bit easier to get into a rhythm. But in Mexico, I was much more satisfied, even if it wasn’t reflected in the results.”

“Still, I felt a lot more comfortable, and it’s a bit of a shame to have a poor qualifying again, really. But I’d rather, you know, in some ways, have a weekend like Mexico where I feel comfortable and know I made a mistake than like Austin, where I was struggling to get the best out of the car.”

And what did Lando Norris say about the new floor?

“Good question! I don’t really know. Not much, obviously. It’s doing what it’s meant to, from what I’ve heard and seen, which is always a good thing. But it hasn’t transformed the car, I’d say. So, I hope it’s just a small improvement.”

And what’s the mood like at McLaren regarding the Constructors’ Championship? Ferrari is coming on strong. Any nerves?

“I’d say no. I think we’ve always known Ferrari would be a threat. And since Monza, they’ve had a very, very quick car. Some weekends, the results didn’t reflect that. So it’s not a huge surprise to us that they’ve been this fast in recent weekends, particularly. We’ll see if that trend continues. But we expected a fight, that’s certain. It’s going to be an exciting end to the year in both championships.”

Does he truly believe Norris can catch Verstappen?

“I mean, it’s possible. It’s certainly not an easy task. And, you know, it depends on both drivers in some ways. What’s evident is that Lando can’t just win every race with Max finishing second because Max would still take it. So, it’s somewhat dependent on the results.”

“It’s obviously a very tight battle with the top three teams, with Mercedes involved from time to time, so shifts one way or the other can still be pretty significant. It’s possible, difficult but doable.”