LAS VEGAS: Oscar Piastri said there had been some “tough moments” as his commanding Formula One lead evaporated, but he was “looking forward to getting back in the car in Vegas” this weekend.
The Australian started the season in style with four wins in the first nine races. After his fifth victory in round 15 in the Netherlands, Piastri led McLaren team-mate Lando Norris by 34 points.
Yet, going into round 22 in Nevada this weekend, Piastri trails Norris by 24 points.
“I was particularly strong in the first half of the season. Even though things aren’t going as well now, I don’t think I should have done anything differently recently,” he said.
“There’s going to be bumps along the road.”
There are a maximum of 83 points available in the last three races and the sprint on the final weekend in Qatar.
Asked if he needed to win them all, Piastri replied: “That would help!“
“It’s going to be difficult now to try and win but the mentality of trying to go out each week and get the most out of it is still there,” he added.
His problems have started in qualifying, leaving him pressing to catch up when the flag drops.
In the first 15 races of the season, Piastri secured five pole positions and was second on the grid five times. In the last six, he has not started from the front row.
In round 16 in Monza, Piastri was edged on to the second row by reigning champion Max Verstappen and by Norris.
In the race, Piastri climbed to second because the McLaren pit crew botched a Norris tire change. The team asked Piastri to give the place back, which he did. The difference between second and third meant a six-point swing to Norris.
The following race in Baku was a disaster as Piastri made, what he called, “silly mistakes.” He crashed in qualifying, started ninth on the grid, virtually stalled at the start, dropped to last and then crashed into a wall.
That ended a run of 34 consecutive races in the points.
As Piastri has struggled, team-mate Norris has blossomed. In the last three races, the Englishman has finished second in the United States and then won in Brazil and Mexico.
- ‘Tough conversations’ -
In Austin and Mexico, Piastri said, “something fundamental wasn’t working.”
“The other races have been a combination of different things going wrong,” he said. “What some might say is ‘the difficult world of motor sport’.”
“There have been some tough lessons to learn, some tough moments to have to accept, and nothing more than that.”
The dip in form coincided with the team order for Piastri to cede second to Norris in Monza.
Frenchman Pierre Gasly, who drives for Alipne wondered if there was a link.
“It’s inexplicable. You can be unhappy with your team, but you can’t forget how to drive from one weekend to the next,” Gasly told AFP.
Pizatri said no driver on the grid was entirely happy with their team and that McLaren had addressed issues.
“There have been some tough conversations through the year,” he said.
“Some things to sort out and realign on but I’m very comfortable we’ve done a good job on it.”
He’s eager to be back on the bumpy road.
“I’m looking forward to getting back in the car in Vegas. I’m concentrating on performance, building a strong weekend and maximizing every opportunity,” he said.
Piastri ready to forget struggles and enjoy Vegas GP
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Piastri ready to forget struggles and enjoy Vegas GP
- The Australian started the season in style with four wins in the first nine races
- “It’s going to be difficult now to try and win but the mentality of trying to go out each week and get the most out of it is still there,” Piastri added
Inter continue Scudetto march after Champions League humbling
- Milan will be favorites to win at Cremonese in Sunday’s early fixture, with the local rivals set to face off next weekend in a match which will in all likelihood have little impact on the destination of the Scudetto
MILAN, Italy: Inter Milan bounced back from Champions League elimination with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Genoa which continued their march toward the Serie A title.
Federico Dimarco’s brilliant volley just after the half-hour mark and Hakan Calhanoglu’s second-half penalty were enough for Inter to extend their already huge lead over AC Milan at the top of the table to 13 points.
Milan will be favorites to win at Cremonese in Sunday’s early fixture, with the local rivals set to face off next weekend in a match which will in all likelihood have little impact on the destination of the Scudetto.
Inter, whose fans unloaded a collection of anti-Milan chants in anticipation of the derby, have dropped just two points in 15 league matches and have been a cut above the rest in Italy’s top flight this season.
Their domestic dominance comes in stark contrast to the humiliating manner in which they were dumped out of the Champions League by Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday night.
A 5-2 aggregate defeat to the Norwegian minnows cast doubts over not just the quality of Cristian Chivu’s team but of Italian football as a whole.
There was plenty of quality in Dimarco’s opener however, the Italy full-back beautifully placing a first-time finish from a tight angle after exchanging passes with Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Little else happened in a humdrum encounter until Alex Amorim handled a cross from Luis Henrique, whose shot had been tipped onto the post just moments before.
Calhanoglu calmly stroked home the spot-kick on his return to action following niggling muscle problems which have caused him issues since before Christmas, sealing the points for Inter.
Big Rom back
Romelu Lukaku kept Napoli on course for a Champions League spot with a last-gasp winner in the champions’ 2-1 victory over rock-bottom Verona, the Belgium forward’s first goal of the season.
Lukaku forced home Giovane’s cross to snatch the win for third-placed Napoli with the last kick of the game at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
Napoli had looked like dropping points in northern Italy when Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro levelled Rasmus Hojlund’s early opener in the 65th minute.
But Lukaku, who only played his first game of the season in late January, gave Napoli a huge win with both Como and Atalanta pushing for a top-four placing.
“I was a dead player before coming here,” said Lukaku to DAZN.
“This season has been difficult, but we’ve got to aim high.”
Napoli’s title defense is all but over as they trail Inter by 14 points after an injury-ravaged season.
Napoli were missing key midfielders Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Anguissa on Saturday, as well as captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
Verona, under interim coach Paolo Sammarco following the sacking of Paolo Zanetti earlier this month, are 10 points from safety after a 12th straight match without a win.
Como, who face Inter in the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinals on Tuesday, strolled to 3-1 victory over strugglers Lecce to continue their push for a first-ever qualification for European football.
Cesc Fabregas’s team are two points behind Roma, in fourth and Juventus’ opponents on Sunday, and five behind Napoli.
Como are also two points ahead of sixth-placed Juve who face Roma trying to stay in touch with the Champions League places after being eliminated from Europe’s elite club competition by Galatasaray on Wednesday.
