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It wasn’t the easiest weekend for Oscar Piastri, but the McLaren driver still managed to end the Mexican Grand Prix on a positive note. Finishing fifth at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the young Australian showed resilience and composure in challenging conditions. While teammate Lando Norris dominated the weekend and reclaimed the championship lead, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was full of praise for Piastri’s performance and growth.
Piastri’s Challenging Weekend in Mexico
For Piastri, it marked his fourth consecutive race without a podium — a noticeable dip after his strong start to the season. While Norris started from pole and took an emphatic victory with a thirty-second gap to the rest, Piastri had to settle for a solid fifth place. “Oscar can be proud of how he bounced back,” Stella told the international media after the race.
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McLaren spent much of the weekend analyzing why Piastri has struggled to match Norris’ pace in recent events. According to Stella, the answer lies partly in the car’s behavior and how it interacts with Piastri’s driving style — particularly on low-grip circuits like Mexico City. “We spent a lot of time reviewing data, onboards, and feedback,” Stella explained. “We
found that in these tricky conditions, you need to handle the car differently. The rear slides more, and that doesn’t always suit Oscar’s natural driving instinct.”
Stella Applauds Piastri’s Progress
Despite those challenges, Stella was impressed with how quickly Piastri adapted. “He responded really well to our analysis. Between Saturday and Sunday, the improvement was clear — his race pace was much stronger. Unfortunately, he was stuck behind traffic for most of the Grand Prix, so he couldn’t fully show his speed.”
The Italian team boss emphasized that weekends like these are crucial for Piastri’s long-term development. “These races build experience. We’re learning together and helping him become a more complete driver. The next four races will bring totally different conditions, so what he learned here will be valuable. Oscar should absolutely be proud of the way he approached this weekend.”
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