Oscar Piastri: “It was very difficult for me to find the limit” during the qualifiers in Spain

Qualified tenth on Saturday during the qualifying session of the Spanish Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri will start from ninth position thanks to a three-place grid penalty for Sergio Perez. In an interview on Saturday, the Australian driver shared his thoughts on a weekend that he described as not very promising.

The McLaren driver explained that his problems started from the first tests, where he couldn’t find the right pace. It wasn’t very natural throughout the weekend and in the last four or five races,” he said. He emphasized that since the first free practice sessions, he has not been comfortable in the car and has struggled to find the confidence needed to push the limits of the vehicle.

One of the main difficulties encountered seems to be related to the tires . « It could be the tires. Yes, very difficult to know », he indicated, specifying that he had not changed anything significantly in his driving style. « It’s not like I was going 10 or 20 seconds faster during the warm-up lap or anything », he added, mentioning very small differences that nevertheless had a big impact on his performance.

Oscar Piastri also mentioned that the last sector of the circuit was particularly difficult, but never for the same reasons. “It was very, very difficult for me to find the limit,” he admitted. This inconsistency made the task even more difficult for him and his team.

McLaren motorhome fire

Let’s remember than an unexpected incident also marked the Australian’s weekend. He had to evacuate the McLaren motorhome after a fire broke out, although he assured that it was not a major distraction. “I was in the motorhome and had to leave. But we were able to settle in another room. Everything else went well,” he explained, expressing happiness that everyone was doing well after the incident.

Since the improvements made to the car in Miami, Oscar Piastri had felt great confidence behind the wheel, but this feeling disappeared for no apparent reason. « In particular in Miami, I felt very, very confident from the first lap », he said. « Yet, this weekend in Barcelona, things were quite different, despite the absence of major changes to the car. »

He finally acknowledged that other teams, like Red Bull, seemed better prepared from the start of the weekend. “Red Bull was strong from the first practice session,” he noted, which contrasted with his own struggles to catch up quickly.