Oscar Piastri has expressed no complaints about McLaren’s decision to deny his request to swap positions with teammate Lando Norris during the Japanese Grand Prix, despite feeling he had the pace to challenge for a win. The Australian finished third, behind Norris, who took second place, and Max Verstappen, the eventual race winner. Piastri had hoped to be allowed to pursue Verstappen for the lead after noticing that his pace was superior to Norris’ during the final stages of the race. However, McLaren decided against swapping the drivers’ positions, and Piastri had to settle for third.
The 24-year-old was left reflecting on the missed opportunity, especially given the pace he believed he had to potentially overtake Verstappen, but McLaren made it clear that team interests came first. With nine laps remaining, Piastri voiced his desire to attack Verstappen, but the team chose to maintain the status quo, keeping Norris ahead of him. This decision ultimately proved significant, as Verstappen went on to secure his fourth consecutive victory at Suzuka, edging closer to Norris in the drivers’ championship.
Piastri, who had been hoping for a second consecutive win following his victory in China, accepted McLaren’s decision without making any waves. He acknowledged that qualifying behind Norris had put him in a position where he couldn’t do much more than what was given to him. Despite the frustration of the situation, Piastri understood the reasoning behind the team’s decision, calling the response “fair.” He had at least asked the question, but ultimately accepted that he didn’t have control over the team’s strategy.
After the race, McLaren’s team principal Andrea Stella provided clarity on the team’s approach. He stressed that McLaren’s priority was to secure the best result for the team as a whole, with the individual ambitions of the drivers secondary to that goal. Stella pointed out that it wasn’t obvious that Piastri had the superior pace over Norris, noting that Norris had been managing his tire wear during the race. For McLaren, the focus was on maintaining a strong position in the constructors’ standings, and Stella made it clear that when the team was in a good position, both drivers would be able to pursue their individual aspirations.
Although Piastri was disappointed by the result, he took solace in the strong race pace he showed throughout the weekend. His performance highlighted the potential McLaren had, even if the result didn’t reflect his best performance. The Australian driver also acknowledged that his disappointing qualifying session played a large part in his inability to challenge for a better result. If he had been in a better starting position, he believed the outcome might have been different.
Looking ahead, Piastri remains optimistic about his prospects. The Bahrain Grand Prix is just around the corner, followed by the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where Piastri hopes to improve on his performance. While the Suzuka weekend didn’t go as he had hoped, he remains encouraged by his race pace and the lessons learned from the weekend. His focus now shifts to making sure he is in a better position next time to capitalize on the speed he has demonstrated.
