Piastri Admits Mercedes’ Stunning Pace Caught Him Off Guard in Canadian Grand Prix
In an exclusive interview, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri confessed that he was astonished by Mercedes’ blistering pace during the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix weekend, admitting that the Silver Arrows left him powerless to resist their advance in the final laps.
Piastri, who was vying for a top-three finish alongside teammate Lando Norris, was eventually eclipsed by Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who leveraged newer rubber to surge past the Australian driver. When asked how close he came to securing another podium, Piastri candidly responded, “> Pretty close until I got behind the Mercedes, and then I realized that they were on a mission.”
The McLaren driver acknowledged that it would have been virtually impossible to hold off the Mercedes drivers, particularly given his positioning as the first car in their firing line. “I tried my best to stay in front, but I think just on the new tires they were clearly a lot quicker than everybody,” Piastri conceded.
Formula 1 today has witnessed Mercedes incrementally unlocking improvements since its sluggish start to the season. The introduction of a revised front wing in Monaco has since extracted more potential from the German marque. In Montreal, Mercedes dominated the final practice hour, with Russell subsequently securing pole position ahead of Max Verstappen.
While McLaren had anticipated Mercedes’ competitiveness in Canada, Piastri hinted that the team remains uncertain about the condition-specific nature of its rival’s blistering speed. “I think the fact that they were fast wasn’t a massive surprise,” Piastri noted. “I think that they were so fast was.“
The Australian driver revealed that Mercedes’ pace left his team “scratching their heads” during the final practice hour. In qualifying, Piastri himself was unable to bridge the gap with Russell, who posted a blistering 11.7 lap time. “I think they’ve switched on the tyres well,” Piastri assessed. “And I think you kind of saw on the inters that that that that hurt them a little bit at certain points.“
Piastri also referenced the Monaco Grand Prix, where Mercedes exhibited flashes of brilliance. “Yeah, I think this weekend, they’ve been very strong,” he concluded. Piastri’s assessment lends credence to Mercedes’ newfound pace, which has catapulted the team up the Formula 1 standings.
In a dramatic conclusion to the race, Piastri and Russell engaged in a last-lap tussle over third place, resulting in a glancing blow as they navigated the final chicane. Piastri reflected, “I need to see it a bit more,” before acknowledging the difficulty of going two wide into the corner. “Yeah, you need to be very brave to go around the outside.” Despite the incident, Piastri conceded that it ultimately had no bearing on the outcome.
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