Oscar Piastri reveals ‘biggest concern’ as Norris delivers Mexican GP hammer blow

Oscar Piastri will start the Mexican Grand Prix from seventh only after struggling to keep up with McLaren teammate Lando Norris throughout qualifying.

The final gap was six-tenths between the McLarens, a mammoth gap by normal standards for the teammates and title rivals. Yet, Piastri felt like things were going quite well for him at the wheel of the MCL39, making that his “biggest concern” having seen the alarming deficit.

Oscar Piastri on Lando Norris gap: ‘Obviously not a great sign’

Drivers’ Championship leader Piastri is in need of a boost as he looks to re-establish control in the title fight, but he has work to do in Mexico from seventh on the grid. Max Verstappen will start from fifth, while closest rival Norris claimed a potentially crucial pole position.

Piastri lagged comfortably behind Norris throughout qualifying, with the final gap between them coming in at 0.588s. A very abnormal difference between the McLaren drivers, Piastri was asked if he is sure that there is nothing wrong with his McLaren after the collision with Norris last weekend in Austin.

“I mean, difficult to know,” he told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets. “Everything feels normal, but the gap was big in that session. Has been big all weekend.

“There’s been some things where I felt like I can tidy it up and make some easy progress, but not all of it. And I think in qualifying, I felt like I did a reasonable job, and the car felt reasonable as well. So yeah, the lack of lap time is a bit of a mystery.”

Piastri arrived in Mexico off the back of a P5 finish in Austin. Reminded that he had said ahead of the race weekend that the United States Grand Prix issues were circuit specific, Piastri was quizzed on how different the problems present in Mexico are.

“In some ways, not too dissimilar,” he said. “I think what’s been a bit surprising here has just been that the gap has been the same pretty much every session.

“I feel like I’ve done some decent laps through the weekend, but everything seems to be about four or five-tenths off. So that’s obviously not a great sign.

“But some of the things that were difficult in Austin are also proving difficult here.”

Asked where his head is at after that challenging qualifying, Piastri added: “Ultimately, just a bit frustrated with how the session has gone. There’s a lot of things I could worry about, but ultimately, being that far off when you feel like you’ve done a reasonable job is a difficult place to be, and so that’s my biggest concern.

“I think from Austin, there were some things that were clear, but even those things that were clear were a bit unusual, some of the differences, and again, this weekend, it’s been a bit different.

“I’ve not changed really how I’m driving since the start of the season, and even a few races ago, when things were going really well. So it’s difficult to pinpoint where the lap time has been lacking this weekend, but I’m sure we’ll find it.

“I haven’t, obviously, seen the data, but I’m expecting it to be losing a little bit everywhere. There wasn’t any big moments or corners where I felt I did something massively wrong. Just, yeah, that’s been a bit of the story of the weekend.”

More Mexican GP talking points from PlanetF1.com

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 starting grid: What is the grid order for the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix?

From here, Piastri has his eye on that huge run down to Turn 1, and if he can re-connect with the McLaren, then he is ready to have “some fun” on Sunday.

“I’ll try my best,” he declared. “It’s the longest run of the year, so I’ll try and make up some spots there.

“But, I think if I can unlock the pace in the car, then we can have some fun. Just got to try and unlock it.”

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock

Read next – Mexican GP: Norris delivers hammer blow as Piastri and Verstappen suffer setbacks