Oscar Piastri admits the error he made in qualifying for the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix was painful as he dropped out in Q1.
McLaren regarded fast in FP3 on Saturday and was a contender for pole place however Piastri locked up on his first run in Q1 because the crew used medium tires initially. Then on softs for his remaining try, the Australian went broad 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 mentioned. “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 feel we made some actually good adjustments and I used to be comfy. FP3 [was] very comfy as nicely, and even in qualifying I felt good. Only a very foolish mistake, making an attempt a bit too laborious in Q1, in order that was it. I imply, at the least I do know the place all of it went flawed, however it nonetheless is painful to be stood right here.”
Piastri additionally recommended he might have aborted and performed one other run on new tires to try to advance however he was anticipating to have the efficiency to enhance regardless.
“We didn’t need to [stay out], however it felt like a really wise choice to try this,” he defined. “I feel 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 regarded very robust and I felt comfy. Simply tried a bit an excessive amount of in Flip 12 and it bit me laborious.”
A 12 months in the past, teammate Lando Norris additionally began seventeenth and completed fifth with a powerful drive in Mexico, and Piastri says that would be the template for his personal restoration try on Sunday.
“Attempt to get again into the factors, and strongly into the factors, hopefully,” he mentioned. “We’re making an attempt to attract inspiration from Lando’s race final 12 months and see what we will do. I feel it’s going to be robust, as a result of the sector seems fairly tight. I feel we’ve acquired some tempo on board this weekend, so we’ll try to use it to get by.”
