Piastri Sees “Plenty of Positives” Despite Limited Running at Las Vegas Grand Prix
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Despite a challenging second practice session, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri remains optimistic heading into the remainder of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, citing “plenty of positives” from the opening day of action. The Australian faced limited track time on Thursday due to red flags and track maintenance, but believes the team has a solid foundation to build upon.
Initial Promise in Free Practice 1
Piastri began the weekend strongly, securing eighth place on the timesheets during Free Practice 1. He reported a “pretty good” session, acknowledging areas for improvement but expressing overall satisfaction with the initial performance. However, the subsequent session proved far more disruptive.
Disrupted Second Practice Session
The second practice hour was significantly hampered by two red flags, triggered by ongoing track maintenance. This severely limited Piastri’s ability to complete meaningful laps, resulting in a P14 classification. “FP2, I did two laps for the whole session,” he explained. “Difficult to know exactly where we sit.”
Despite the curtailed running, Piastri believes the car possesses “decent pace,” though he noted that few drivers were able to achieve optimal runs on the soft tires. He emphasized the difficulty in accurately assessing the competitive landscape given the limited data.
Assessing Progress Compared to Last Year
When questioned about the team’s progress compared to the challenging 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Piastri offered a cautiously optimistic assessment. “I think so, yes,” he responded. He acknowledged the evolving track conditions – initially damp and constantly improving – as a complicating factor in making a definitive comparison.
The team implemented changes during FP2 that Piastri described as “pretty good,” signaling a proactive approach to optimizing the car’s setup. Further “tweaking” is planned overnight in preparation for Friday’s running.
Looking Ahead to the Weekend
Despite the uncertainty, Piastri remains undeterred. He anticipates continued track evolution throughout the weekend and acknowledges the potential impact of changing weather conditions. “I feel okay,” the 24-year-old stated. “Would I have loved some more laps? Yes, but I think the track is going to continue to change quite a bit through the rest of the weekend. We’ll see what kind of weather we’ve got tomorrow, what we get here, and we’ll take it from there.”
