Oscar Piastri Warns McLaren of ‘Tough' Battle After Shocking Track Limits Elimination

Saajan Jogia | 4 Hours Ago

Oct 18, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; McLaren Formula 1 Team driver Oscar Piastri (81) of Team Australia walks through the track entrance before practice for the 2024 US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has warned his team that the United States Grand Prix sprint race "is going to be tough," considering his SQ1 elimination for exceeding track limits, leading him to secure 16th spot on the grid. He also admitted that rival teams were looking stronger for the weekend at Austin, despite the team's upgrade package on the MCL38 F1 car.

Piastri's fastest lap time was deleted after he exceeded track limits in the final sector of the Circuit of the Americas at Turn 19, leading to a disastrous race start for Saturday's sprint. Unfortunately for McLaren, the team's worry might have multiplied since Lando Norris also struggled with the car's performance, ultimately securing the fourth position behind Max Verstappen, George Russell, and Charles Leclerc, in the same order.

Piastri's hint of stronger rivals might be directed toward Mercedes and Red Bull, as both teams struggled against McLaren's potent MCL38 before the recent autumn break. Speaking on the unsuccessful qualifying run at COTA, he told the media:

"I mean most of the lap was good, we made a few mistakes in the last sector, but obviously the second-to-last corner, I just tried to go a bit too fast, and that was the result.

"It is a shame, but one good thing about sprint weekends is that we have another shot [on Saturday.]

"The car feels okay, but it is maybe not quite as strong as it has been in the last few races, but I don't think that is because we are weaker.

"I think the others maybe seem a little bit stronger, so let's see.

"We are still well and truly in the fight, so it is certainly not a case of we're miles behind, but it is maybe a little bit more difficult for us than in a few of the other weekends.

"It is going to be tough [to score points] from where we are, but we will try and will see what we can do."

His teammate Norris, trailing Verstappen by just 52 points in the Drivers' Standings, faces a tough challenge in the sprint race. To boost his championship hopes, he must not only close the gap to the Dutchman but also overtake him. Speaking to the media after sprint qualifying, the McLaren driver said:

"[It was] not very good. P4, so not a great day. I've been struggling the whole day, honestly, with the balance and the set-up.

"In a way I'm happy with P4 because I felt like it could have been a lot worse, but my lap was shocking. Not a terrible day and it could have been worse, but could have been better. But I'll take it."

Norris pointed out that the impact of the new upgrade package wasn't noticeable on his MCL38, indicating that “It’s not a new package, it’s pretty much the same.”

When asked about his expectations for race pace in the sprint, the British driver admitted:

“No, not really.

“I hope to go forward, that’s my plan, but on pace I think we are where we deserve to be today, so my plan is to go forward but I have no idea how much we can.”