F1 News: Oscar Piastri Reflects On Tricky Japanese GP - ‘Also Need To Look Internally’

Oscar Piastri opened up on his struggles during the Japanese GP.

Nov 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; McLaren F1 Team driver Oscar Piastri of Australia (81) arrives / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Oscar Piastri expressed his challenges during the Japanese Grand Prix, securing an eighth-place finish. The McLaren driver pointed out issues with tyre management and the need for internal reflection and improvement.

Key Takeaways:

• Piastri struggled with tyre performance and overall pace compared to competitors.
• The Australian driver acknowledged the gap to Ferrari, highlighting the need for team and personal performance enhancements.
• He emphasised the importance of internal evaluation and finding additional speed in the car.

Nov 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; McLaren F1 Team driver Oscar Piastri of Australia (81) arrives / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Following a demanding race at the Japanese Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri shared his thoughts with Sky Sports F1, highlighting the obstacles he faced throughout the weekend. Finishing eighth, Piastri admitted that the race was challenging, not only in terms of position battles but also due to technical difficulties, particularly with tyre management. The young driver candidly discussed the need to delve into the root causes of these issues to enhance future performances. He explained:

"Not really for the positions that I’d want to be fighting, for sure. Just struggled a bit with the tyres. I think we just didn’t really have the pace of the cars around us, so we just need to dig into why a bit."

Piastri also took a moment to reflect on his own performance over the weekend, suggesting that there's room for personal growth and adaptation. He continued:

"I think today showed that we still have some work to do. We’re clearly not quite at the level of Ferrari yet, so just need to find a little bit more.

"I think also for myself, it’s not been the greatest of weekends, so also need to look internally but I think, for sure, we need to find a little bit of a pace in the car as well. "