Oscar Piastri had to watch the Chinese GP from the sidelines on Sunday. The Australian had parked his McLaren on the starting grid but was recalled by the team at the last moment. The mechanics identified an electrical problem, which prevented him from participating in the race. Teammate Lando Norris struggled with a similar defect. For Piastri, however, it was the second weekend in a row that he did not appear at the start.
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Two DNSs in a row for Piastri! During the opening race in Melbourne – his home race, no less – a crash in the formation lap meant he couldn’t start. In Shanghai, the 24-year-old driver was plagued by an electrical problem in the powertrain. “We both had problems with the engine,” Piastri sighed to the media afterwards. “I did have a different problem than Lando (Norris, ed.),” he added. “Of course it’s disappointing, but it is what it is. Last weekend I found it all a bit harder to accept.”
‘A few encouraging things’
“These are simply things that are part of racing, especially now that we have switched to new regulations,” Piastri noted. “Although it is a real shame that this has to happen to both cars.” For McLaren, the double DNS hurts extra. The reigning world champions are currently still in third place in the constructors’ championship, although the gap to Haas is now only one championship point. “There were a few encouraging things,” Piastri continued optimistically. “For example, we were able to get more out of our engine. I think the gap to the fastest teams has narrowed, but it is still large.”
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“There is still a lot of work to do,” he admitted. “I expect we can get a bit closer, but it will be impossible to completely close the gap. It’s just incredibly difficult. There are so many rules surrounding the engine. And sometimes you change something, which causes a negative side effect elsewhere. We are still trying to learn from that.”
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