Oscar Piastri admits the error he made in qualifying for the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix was painful as he dropped out in Q1.
McLaren seemed fast in FP3 on Saturday and was a contender for pole place however Piastri locked up on his first run in Q1 because the workforce used medium tires initially. Then on softs for his remaining try, the Australian went vast at Flip 12 and couldn’t enhance sufficient on a second timed lap so was eradicated in seventeenth place.
“I simply went off in Flip 12, acquired beached on the curb there and that’s it,” Piastri stated. “My lap was simply going to be sufficient so it’s irritating to make that mistake. I misplaced a few second, so… painful.
“FP3 was very robust, even FP2. FP1 I struggled a bit, however FP2 I believe we made some actually good adjustments and I used to be snug. FP3 [was] very snug as effectively, and even in qualifying I felt good. Only a very foolish mistake, attempting a bit too arduous in Q1, in order that was it. I imply, a minimum of I do know the place all of it went mistaken, however it nonetheless is painful to be stood right here.”
Piastri additionally advised he may have aborted and finished one other run on new tires to try to advance however he was anticipating to have the efficiency to enhance regardless.
“We didn’t must [stay out], however it felt like a really smart choice to try this,” he defined. “I believe we simply had very, little or no grip on that second lap, which was a disgrace, however I imply, I shouldn’t have even wanted it. Clearly irritating, as a result of the tempo seemed very robust and I felt snug. Simply tried a bit an excessive amount of in Flip 12 and it bit me arduous.”
A yr in the past, teammate Lando Norris additionally began seventeenth and completed fifth with a formidable drive in Mexico, and Piastri says that would be the template for his personal restoration try on Sunday.
“Try to get again into the factors, and strongly into the factors, hopefully,” he stated. “We’re attempting to attract inspiration from Lando’s race final yr and see what we are able to do. I believe it’s going to be robust, as a result of the sphere seems moderately tight. I believe we’ve acquired some tempo on board this weekend, so we’ll try to use it to get by.”
