Oscar Piastri, the Australian driver for McLaren, has no issue with his team’s decision to use team orders during the Australian Grand Prix. Piastri was in fourth place, two positions behind his teammate Lando Norris, when Ferrari and McLaren chose to make an early pit stop to cover Mercedes’ pit stop for George Russell. McLaren called Piastri in for a pit stop, allowing him to overtake Norris once the Briton made his first stop a few laps later. However, McLaren instructed Piastri to let Norris pass in the middle of the race, as Norris was faster and had a better chance of overtaking Charles Leclerc. Piastri understands and accepts this decision, even though he would love to secure a podium finish in his home country.
Piastri acknowledges that Norris qualified ahead of him and was closing in during the race. He believed Norris had a better chance of challenging Leclerc for position, so he really hoped Norris would overtake him. Piastri believes McLaren’s decision to let Norris pass was fair and the right choice.
Regarding his own performance, Piastri admits to making some mistakes during qualifying, costing him a better starting position. He locked up the brakes at the second-to-last corner, resulting in a four-second loss during the race. Despite these errors, Piastri is pleased with McLaren’s overall pace and considers it a solid result. He struggled a bit in the middle of the second stint, causing tire wear, but overall, it was a strong day for him.
Piastri also mentions his surprise at Sergio Perez’s lack of pace during the race. He expected Perez to make a recovery, but that did not happen. This gives Piastri and other drivers on the grid some optimism for the upcoming races.
Overall, Piastri is satisfied with McLaren’s team orders and his own performance, despite some mistakes. He remains optimistic for the upcoming races.
