Oscar Piastri expressed confusion over McLaren’s underwhelming qualifying performance at the Singapore Grand Prix, as the team struggled to match the pace of its rivals. The championship leader secured third place in qualifying, trailing Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.366 seconds, highlighting ongoing concerns with McLaren’s pace.
Despite Piastri’s strong effort, his teammate and title rival, Lando Norris, qualified only fifth, behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. Piastri acknowledged that McLaren’s car lacked the speed to compete for pole position but was especially puzzled as to why he couldn’t find the incremental advantages others achieved on the improving track surface.
Oscar Piastri Reflects on McLaren’s Qualifying Performance
Piastri admitted there was some margin for improvement but not enough to clinch pole position.
“I think there was a little bit left but not enough to get pole,”
he said. He noted that McLaren appeared solid during practice and in the early stages of qualifying but, as the session progressed, rivals gained much more time.
“We seemed to be good through practice, we seemed pretty good in Q1 and then we found a little bit of time and others found a lot of time,”
Piastri added. Despite the disappointment, he expressed general satisfaction with his weekend, saying,
“I’m pretty happy with the job I’ve done. Was it perfect? No, but I feel like it’s been a good weekend and been close to the limit of what the car’s been able to do.”
Understanding the Factors Behind McLaren’s Struggles
Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, provided insight into the team’s difficulties, noting a consistent pattern on certain circuits. He explained that the team targeted pole position for qualifying but observed challenges related to braking, bumps, and kerbs on the Singapore track, similar to issues faced previously in Canada and Baku. He acknowledged the competitiveness of rival cars on this particular track layout and remained cautiously optimistic about the race day prospects.
“Still a good position for the race tomorrow,”
Stella remarked.
Lando Norris pointed to specific tire issues as a key reason behind McLaren’s poor qualifying pace, emphasizing difficulties with front tire temperature.
“Everyone seems to be struggling with the front tyres this weekend,”
Norris said. He identified this as a known weakness of the car and described the handling problems it caused, particularly understeer, which he described as his “worst nightmare.” Norris noted how Mercedes had previously capitalized on similar challenges in Vegas to secure strong results.
“We just couldn’t get the front of the car to work this weekend,”
he stated.
Implications for McLaren’s Championship Hopes
McLaren is on the verge of securing the constructors’ championship, needing just 13 points from the Singapore Grand Prix to clinch the title. Despite the frustrations and performance gaps shown in qualifying, the solid starting positions of Piastri and Norris keep their ambitions alive heading into the race. How effectively McLaren can address their front tire problems and adapt to the track conditions will be critical for converting their afternoon disappointment into championship success.
