Oscar Piastri: Sergio Perez’s Struggles Give McLaren Hope in Formula 1 Standings
As the 2024 Formula 1 season unfolds, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has expressed his optimism that Sergio Perez’s ongoing struggles will help his team narrow the gap with Red Bull in the championship. With six consecutive podiums and a win since introducing upgrades in Miami, McLaren has emerged as Red Bull’s closest challenger.
While Max Verstappen has consistently performed at the sharp end, Perez has endured a slump in form, managing only 15 points in five rounds. This has allowed McLaren to stay in contention, trailing Red Bull by 87 points in third place.
“It certainly helps our Constructors’ Championship a bit,” he said. “I mean, it has just been Max really, which whenever you have two cars up the front versus one, it opens up some opportunities and is always good for point scoring.”
McLaren’s recent upgrade package has significantly improved the MCL38’s performance, eradicating its previous weakness in slow-speed corners. Piastri believes the car should perform well everywhere, although he anticipates relative strengths and weaknesses compared to other teams on different circuits.
Looking ahead to this weekend’s British Grand Prix, Piastri is determined to capitalize on his near-miss in Austria, where a track limits violation cost him a potential win. “I think I’m definitely in the hunt for the win,” he said. “We’ve had a really competitive car for the last three months. There’s been a lot of near misses and opportunities.”
While Piastri concedes that Red Bull’s strength in high-speed corners makes them the favorites, he remains confident in McLaren’s ability to fight for wins. “I think Red Bull will be strong,” he acknowledged. “But given our performance on different tracks, I think we’ve given ourselves enough evidence to say that we’re back and able to fight for wins.”
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