Lando Norris claimed pole position at the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix with a blistering 1:15.556. Meanwhile, teammate Oscar Piastri struggled in qualifying, finishing eighth, but will start seventh following Sainz’s five-place grid penalty carried over from last weekend.
After the session, Team Principal Andrea Stella addressed Piastri’s difficulties and challenges in Mexico’s tricky conditions.
Stella: “We can have the fastest car”
Stella was quick to highlight the positives of McLaren’s overall performance before explaining Piastri’s challenges.
“I think, first of all, let me start by saying that it’s important today for the team to confirm that we can have the fastest car. After a few races in which we had some hesitations, possibly we didn’t even maximise the potential that was available in the car, so here we really regrouped and we tried to make sure that could optimise, from a set-up point of view, from a car specification point of view, to make it as fast as possible, and it was good to prove that it was the fastest car.”
The Italian explained that while the MCL39 is quick, it requires a specific driving style, which suits Norris more naturally at this venue.
“But the fastest car is also a car that needs to be driven in a certain way, especially when you have conditions like here and to some extent in Austin, with hot tarmac, sliding tyres, and the way in which you generate lap time is a way that, I would say, comes relatively naturally for Lando and less naturally for Oscar.”
Norris thrives in low grip scenarios, Piastri in high ones
Stella elaborated on driver differences, noting that the conditions in Mexico reward Norris’s comfort with low grip levels. As the Australian has shown at Shanghai and Spain this year, he has made gains on higher grip tracks. However, low grip surfaces remain an area for improvement still.
“You know, Lando is the driver of going on low grip, end of the stint, when the tyres are quite worn, used, the grip is low, is when we see Lando’s green sector, green sector, green sector. Oscar is more of a driver of high grip, and that’s where he can exploit this incredible talent.”
Stella reminded that Piastri is early in his F1 career and still learning, unlike Norris in his seventh year.
“At the same time, we don’t have to forget that while we talk about the leader in the Drivers’ Championship, he’s not even finished the third season in Formula 1. So, experiencing situations like we have here in Austin is how you actually calibrate yourself as a driver. So Oscar, every session, is learning a little bit as to what you need to do, what you need to feel to say, I’m fast now, in these specific conditions, which conversely are more natural conditions for Lando.”
He concluded: “So nothing to worry, I think it’s more a calibration exercise for Oscar. I’m sure this calibration will pay off already tomorrow in the race and in any future event in which the regime, in which the tyre and the car interact with the tarmac, is similar to here in Mexico, like it was in Austin.”
Analysing Mexico’s conditions
Asked if Piastri has faced similar struggles this season, Stella said Mexico City’s heat, altitude, and soft tyre create a unique challenge.
“Well, we were actually trying to see during the season if there were conditions that were comparable to this one. Like these are conditions in which, for instance, you have a C5 tyre, a very soft tyre, and so far we haven’t seen graining at all, which is quite surprising. Like last year the tyre was graining massively, so it means that the regime is quite particular, and we were going through understanding if there were other cases, perhaps Canada might have been similar.”
Stella noted that Norris’s exceptional lap also underscored the gap between the two McLaren drivers, by saying, “In terms of the gap itself, we need to look into the details, really. I think we also have to take into account that Lando finished his lap and said, like, I’m not sure actually how to put together such a good lap. So we have a situation where one driver is struggling a little bit and the other driver really managed to perform at the best of what was available today.”
He continued: “So I don’t want to enter into too many details, but what’s important is that we extract from a driving point of view, from a driving perception point of view, what Oscar needs to do and feel tomorrow to be quick in the race.”
The MCL39 is not the issue
Additionally, Stella was clear and confident that Piastri’s problems were not due to a car issue. He said, “Every evidence, every piece of data, every indirect measurement of information we have tells us that there is no problem with the car and we have no reason to suspect that that’s the case. Also, the change of the chassis, I know that in the history of Formula 1 there is this topic of changing the chassis. I would change other components than the chassis, like the floor, the front wing, but in reality there is a rotation of parts, so it’s not like there is always the same parts on the car.”
He reaffirmed that McLaren’s car is in perfect condition and that Piastri’s time loss is simply a matter of adaptation.
Nonetheless, he is confident the Australian can make places in Sunday’s race.
“So we have reasons to be reassured that there is no problem with the car and like I said before, these very, very unique conditions and also once you get familiarity with what you have to do and what you have to feel, then you start to gain in every single corner and you can cash in quite a lot of lap times. So, no concern wiht the car and I’m sure tomorrow Oscar will capitalise from the learning today.”
