Oscar Piastri reflected on his difficult race in the Dutch dunes. His teammate Lando Norris won the last Dutch GP at Zandvoort with a significant lead over second place Andrea Kimi Antonelli, but for the Australian, due in part to a slow pit stop, only sixth place was possible. “It turned into a mess,” sighed Piastri.
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The difference between the two McLaren drivers during the Dutch GP last Sunday could hardly have been greater. While Lando Norris drove to his second consecutive win, teammate Oscar Piastri fell into a downward spiral. After an early impressive overtaking move on George Russell, the Australian ended up sixth due to, among other things, a failed pit stop.
Piastri analyzed his race afterwards to the media present at Zandvoort. “The idea was to start on the hard tires and use them until the end, but it quickly became clear that the hard tires were not really ideal,” said the McLaren driver. “But I don’t think that was the biggest problem. The slow first pit stop was obviously painful, and the pace afterwards as well, and there were many different strategies, but I don’t think ours was really the problem of the race.” Piastri’s first pit stop in lap 18 ultimately lasted 5.4 seconds.
‘Then it went downhill’
Still, the whole Grand Prix was not a disappointment for Piastri, who got off well at the restart. The race was stopped after the crash of home hero Max Verstappen. “From fifth starting position, I could then go around the outside, and that was much nicer, because I gained a position. Then George’s engine shifted into reverse towards turn 7, and I gained another, so that was a bonus. After that, it actually went downhill.”
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According to Piastri, things went wrong especially during his second stint on the hard tires. “The first five laps were okay, and then it turned into a mess. I don’t know exactly how the end was. When the Ferraris also passed me, I drove through the ‘marbles’ and got a lot of dirt on my tires, but unfortunately this is not the first race where the pace just isn’t there. So we have to figure out why.”
However, the Australian draws hope for the upcoming races from his teammate’s victory. “Lando won the race with a big lead, so I think the car is in good shape,” said Piastri. “The last two race weekends the car was fast, and I think these two circuits suit the car well, it’s just that for some reason I haven’t been able to get the speed out of it.”
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