After five races, trends are beginning to emerge on the Formula 1 grid and drivers are discovering whether their 2024 cars suit them or not.
While plenty of adjustments can be made – as Lewis Hamilton showed between the Sprint Race and qualifying to his detriment – there are fundamental aspects of each driver’s technique and style that are unlikely to change.
Commentating on the race for Sky Sports F1, Nico Rosberg admitted he was worried about what he was seeing from one of the less experienced racers on the grid.
The circuit in Shanghai is a slight outlier when it comes to driving style and plenty of drivers faced some difficulty keeping the tyres alive due to the surface of the track.
Alex Albon admitted on F1’s Post-Race Show his tyres felt dead after just a few corners every time he left the pit lane.
However, Rosberg was more concerned about Oscar Piastri’s driving style after a tough race for the Australian.
He was well off the pace of Lando Norris on Saturday and Sunday although his car was damaged during the Grand Prix.
Piastri came away with points in both races, but the gap between him and Norris continues to grow in the Drivers’ Championship after a strong start to the campaign.
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Nico Rosberg questions Oscar Piastri’s driving style
There were plenty of positives for McLaren to take from the Chinese Grand Prix as they extended the gap over Mercedes and Aston Martin in the Constructors’ Championship.
Karun Chandhok hailed both McLaren drivers for their performances in qualifying.
Norris and Piastri started 4 and 5 although while Norris was looking forward, Piastri had two Ferraris and a Mercedes in his mirrors.
The Brit continued moving forward and has been widely praised for splitting the Red Bulls on the podium.
Rosberg, however, was worried by what he saw from Piastri and wondered if his driving style was causing him to lose time compared to his teammate during races.
In qualifying, he appears to be just as quick as Norris and makes less mistakes.
However, there appears to be an issue with his tyre management and in this current era of Formula 1, that’s vitally important.
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Oscar Piastri’s car damage contributed to his difficult Chinese Grand Prix
Speaking at the beginning of the race about the Australian, Piastri said: “That is exactly what we need to talk about, that’s 1.5 seconds slower per lap from Oscar Piastri, so he’s still struggling massively with his tyre degradation and the way he’s driving.
“That’s too much after what 15 laps to be 1.5 seconds per lap slower is too much.
“He needs to progress there, he’s still doing something very different and it’s not looking good.”
The gap between Piastri and Norris during the Sprint Race when his car wasn’t damaged highlights the driving issue Rosberg is talking about.
While he’s earning praise from Red Bull chief Helmut Marko, the pressure will slowly build on Piastri to reach Norris’s level despite the fact he’s only in his second season of Formula 1.
His inexperience showed at the end of the last race in Japan as well, when a small mistake on the final lap saw him lose out to George Russell.
While there are suggestions he has more potential than Norris, the Brit is a level above him right now and appears at one with the current McLaren.
Unfortunately, the best way to assess how fast a driver is in F1 is to compare them to their teammate and right now, Piastri is McLaren’s second driver right now.
The post ‘Not looking good’: Nico Rosberg now questions 23-year-old’s driving style, he’s ‘struggling massively’ appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
