Oscar Piastri, an Australian driver for McLaren, expressed the need for the team to understand his “unexpected” speed at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami, despite recognizing the positive signs it presents. McLaren introduced several upgrades for the race in the United States, and Lando Norris’ MCL38 immediately showed promising signs. Taking advantage of a well-timed Safety Car, Norris managed to secure first place and clinched his first victory by overtaking Max Verstappen. On the other hand, Piastri’s race took a turn for the worse after sustaining damage in contact with Carlos Sainz, leaving him out of the points. However, Piastri, whose car had limited parts from McLaren’s latest upgrades, found encouragement both in his own performance and in that of his teammate.
Piastri stated: “I believe we both had a very strong car. Seeing Lando win the race based on his pace and pulling away from Max after the Safety Car, I see that as a highly encouraging sign. I am genuinely happy for him and the whole team. I believe we deserve this victory, as our progress over the past year has led us to this moment.”
When asked if Norris’ success gave him hope, Piastri responded positively, saying: “Yes, it is definitely encouraging to see that, and even with the car I had, I believe we were also very strong.”
The McLaren team boss, Andrea Stella, and Norris downplayed expectations regarding the team’s performance in Miami. Piastri admitted that the team showed more competitiveness than expected, indicating that there were positive and negative aspects in these surprises. He stated: “The speed we had in these conditions on this track was unexpected. We still don’t fully understand why. Our performance has been inconsistent on different days. However, the fact that we were able to win a race based on our pace is an extremely encouraging sign for the rest of the year.”
