“Inexperienced” McLaren doesn’t deter Piastri’s Hungarian hopes

Oscar Piastri has reflected on his most recent stoke of misfortune during the British Grand Prix, taking the positives from his performance while an “inexperienced” McLaren continues to dust off the cobwebs as a returning front-runner.

In only his second season of Formula 1, Piastri has already found himself contending for his maiden victory with McLaren, but despite having the performance in hand, the #81 has struggled to convert the victory. 

The opening half of 2024 has been a rollercoaster of results for Piastri, with the first 12 Grands Prix providing many self-proclaimed “lessons” for the 23-year-old.

Following close calls for a shot at victory at both the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix and the Austrian Grand Prix, Silverstone was the most recent hurdle for Piastri’s P1 hopes. 

Ultimately finishing in fourth place, a strategy blunder when dealing with the wet-dry conditions on the McLaren pit wall proved costly for the #81’s “tough” but alive podium prospects. 

“I think in certain scenarios, yes, I probably could have won the race, but I think for a lot of people in that race, there are a lot of things they could have done a lot better, and I think a lot of people have a lot of what-ifs in situations like that,” Piastri said.

“So, yes, I think we’ve analysed that and worked out where we could have gone better, and I think on both sides of the garage we’ve worked very well together to identify where we went wrong. 

“But, yeah, I think the fact that we were in the hunt for that. 

“I don’t think we were… You know, before the rain came, we were not the fastest car on track. 

“We were fourth and fifth, and, you know, through the weather conditions and whatnot we were able to get into a good position and unfortunately we made some errors from there. 

“But I think the opportunities are always very, very tough to come by, and I think we’re creating some of our own.”

The moment that cost Oscar Piastri greatly at the British Grand Prix. Image: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images.

Now steadily fighting at the front, McLaren finds itself dusting off the cobwebs, renewing its success as a customer team and using these lessons to better themselves against Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari. 

“I think as we’re now fighting back at the front, we’re competing against teams that have been in this position for an incredibly long time — in some cases, over a decade,” Piastri said.

“It’s been a while since, as a team, we’ve been regularly fighting in those positions. 

“It’s not an excuse for us to be able to get it wrong, but we are inexperienced compared to some of our competitors. 

“We’re learning a lot as we go along. 

“I think we’ve had a few races where we’ve really taken advantage of our opportunities and maybe they haven’t been commented on as much, but I think that’s part of the game. 

“When you’re right at the front, these missed opportunities can be the difference between winning a race or finishing second, which, of course, has a bit more weight than if you’re having the difference between a P6 and a P7.”

Heading into the Hungarian Grand Prix, the first race of the double-header before the summer break, Piastri remains confident in his and McLaren’s approach to their racing.

“I don’t think the approach changes, no,” the Australian said. 

“I think for the majority of things that we’ve been doing in our approach, it’s been working well. 

“I mean, of course, you learn things on the way, but I don’t think it revolutionises the things we’re doing at the team. 

“I mean, it would be nice to be close. I think we’ve come close a couple of times. 

“So I think from a performance point of view and I think from a driving point of view, I think we’re doing the right things. 

“But with such a tight battle at the front now, you know, there’s really four teams involved, it’s really not easy to get it. 

“So, I feel like it could be close but I want to still make sure that I’m learning every weekend and coming out the weekends happy with what I’m doing rather than focusing purely on the results.”

Despite broadening his focus, the Hungaroring is a track Piastri has experienced decent results in the past.

Having raced in Budapest seven times since 2018, the McLaren driver has claimed pole position, a race win and multiple podiums at the circuit, all feats he will be aiming to achieve this weekend. 

During his rookie F1 season, his venture to the Hungaroring wasn’t as impressionable as his junior formulae outings, however, finishing the race in P5 while his teammate claimed second place. 

“The Hungaroring is a track that I had success at in the junior formulae so I’m looking forward to returning,” Piastri said.

“The whole team is going into this race with a lot of confidence and motivation.”

The opening practice session of the Hungarian Grand Prix kicks off tonight at 9:30 PM.

Image: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images

2024 Hungarian Grand Prix Schedule:

Friday July 19th:

FP1: 21:30 – 22:30

Saturday July 20th:

FP2: 01:00 – 02:00

FP3: 20:30 – 21:30

Sunday July 21st:

Qualifying: 00:00 – 01:00

Race Start: 23:00

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