McLaren: Piastri “more conscious of his strengths” after Miami F1 race


Piastri had the higher begin of the 2 McLaren drivers in Miami, muscling his well beyond Norris, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez after the latter went straight on within the first nook.

In a McLaren that did not obtain all of the upgrades that Norris’ MCL38 had geared up, Piastri nonetheless confirmed nice tempo early on and handed the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc to maneuver as much as second behind Max Verstappen.

However it was Norris who vaulted to the highest after delaying his solely pitstop till a mid-race security automotive gave the Briton a free cease, with Norris controlling the race from the restart to take an emphatic maiden win.

PLUS: The three factors that mean Norris’s Miami F1 win can’t be cast as a safety car fluke

Within the combat for fourth, Sainz was penalised for contact with Piastri, which pressured the Australian to pit for a brand new entrance wing and left him down in thirteenth on the end.

Whereas his personal race resulted in catastrophe, Stella believes Piastri will take braveness from his efficiency alongside Norris this weekend in a much less speedy McLaren forward of receiving the identical specification as Norris in Imola.

“I believe Oscar comes out of this weekend much more aware of his strengths as a driver,” Stella mentioned.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

“We knew already how briskly he’s on a single lap, contemplating that he did not have the complete package deal. Let me pay correct credit score to Oscar, the hole he needed to Lando in qualifying is smaller than the distinction of the package deal he had.

“So, he was actually pulling off sturdy efficiency over a single lap in very troublesome situations like all drivers mentioned with the delicate tyres.”

Stella added: “His efficiency within the race was once more very sturdy. Lando mentioned one thing very nice earlier than, he mentioned by Oscar overtaking a Ferrari, he felt: ‘Wow, we are literally there as we speak’, so it was a realisation for Lando himself.

“He comes away from this weekend with this type of conviction, particularly when it comes to race tempo, which is one thing we needed to enhance having checked out Japan, having checked out China. So, for me, he is in a really sturdy place.”

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Stella additionally praised Piastri for not kicking up a fuss when informed Norris would get precedence on the complete improve package deal, which additionally included a revised ground and sidepods.

“He has confirmed as soon as once more how sturdy a group participant he’s, as a result of clearly after I informed him, ‘Oscar we’re going to give the sidepods and the ground to Lando’, he wasn’t the happiest within the backside of his coronary heart,” Stella mentioned.

“However at no level he made this choice troublesome or requested why. He understood the reasoning and he was instantly supportive, like all of the entourage round Oscar.”

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