Oscar Piastri's Strong Comeback in Qatar: What's Behind It?

Oscar Piastri is back to his top form in Qatar. This is not a coincidence. The track in Qatar is different from the ones he struggled on before. It has high grip, which suits Piastri's driving style better. Piastri had a tough time in Austin, Mexico, Brazil, and Las Vegas. He was slower than his teammate Lando Norris. But in Qatar, he won the sprint qualifying, the sprint race, and got pole position for the grand prix. This is his first pole since Zandvoort. Andrea Stella, the McLaren team principal, thinks Piastri's performance is linked to the track's characteristics. Piastri is more comfortable on high-grip circuits. These circuits allow him to drive in a way that maximizes the car's potential. On the other hand, circuits like Mexico and Austin require a different driving technique. Piastri is still learning this technique, but Norris excels at it. Stella believes Piastri's recent struggles are not due to his mindset. Instead, they are technical issues. The surprise in Qatar is not that McLaren is fast, but how they achieved this speed. McLaren is usually strong in long, medium-speed corners. But in Qatar, they were fastest in the high-speed final sector. Red Bull and Mercedes were competitive in other parts of the track. Stella points out that everyone is getting closer in performance. The regulations are mature, and teams are converging in their developments. This makes the competition very tight.