Oscar Piastri, from Australia, driving for McLaren, had a challenging weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix, according to McLaren’s Formula 1 team boss, Andrea Stella. Despite qualifying in sixth place and dropping to seventh during the race, Stella believes Piastri showed progress in his race management skills. Piastri finished nearly 18 seconds behind his teammate Lando Norris, who failed to secure a spot on the podium. Piastri faced issues with tire degradation and ended up being classified 17 seconds behind Norris, despite initially being ahead on lap 27. Stella suggests that the improved pace of McLaren’s rivals masked Piastri’s growth as a driver. Stella highlights that, although Piastri couldn’t match Norris’ performance, he made significant progress in tire management during races. However, Stella also acknowledges that Piastri still needs to gain the necessary experience to make marginal improvements in his performance. Stella suggests that the time Piastri spent behind the turbulence caused by Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin allowed George Russell to overtake him. Stella explains that tire degradation played a significant role in the pace difference between the drivers, overshadowing the effect of the slipstream.
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