Jolyon Palmer saw something ‘interesting’ about Oscar Piastri’s struggles in the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix that the McLaren star did not share with teammate Lando Norris.
The pinnacle of motorsport charged around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday in round 10 of the season. But Piastri left himself facing an uphill challenge after failing to set a valid time during Q3 on Saturday. He ended qualifying having to settle for a ninth-place start.
Piastri finished Q3 in P10 but gained one position with Sergio Perez serving a grid penalty at the Spanish GP. Yet the 23-year-old would have hoped for more as Norris took pole position for McLaren. Piastri exceeded track limits during his first Q3 run before running off the road.
Jolyon Palmer found Oscar Piastri’s Spanish GP pace deficit to Lando Norris ‘interesting’
Norris ultimately wasted his pole position with a poor start as George Russell swept through from P4 on the grid to lead the Spanish GP. Yet while the 24-year-old remained in the battle with Russell and Max Verstappen at the front, Piastri toiled at the wrong end of the top 10.
The Melbourne native struggled to make much progress during his opening stint on the soft compound Pirelli tyres. Piastri ultimately lost nine seconds to Norris through the opening 21 laps before McLaren brought him in to switch onto the medium tyres, dropping down to P11.
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McLaren called Piastri in for his first pit stop as the Australian was losing around a second a lap to Norris. Yet his Bristol-born teammate was nursing his soft tyres to extend the stint to stop on Lap 24. Palmer found it ‘interesting’ how Piastri was losing so much more time, too.
Palmer said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Interestingly Piastri is a second a lap slower than Norris and Norris is extending this soft tyre run pretty well considering he’s on a tyre that should be falling apart quickly.”
McLaren will hope Oscar Piastri improves his tyre management
Tyre management has often been Piastri’s downfall since McLaren brought the 2021 F2 title-winner into F1 last term. It particularly cost the Australian to Norris’ benefit at the Japanese GP in September. The Briton easily overtook his teammate but they both got on the podium.
Piastri briefly led Norris in the 2023 Japanese GP after McLaren pitted him first, handing the 2020 F3 champion the undercut. But Piastri did not keep the life in his tyres long enough for Norris to face much of a challenge. It proved the difference between Piastri taking P2 or P3.
McLaren would have hoped Piastri would improve his tyre management skills with the 2024 Spanish GP his 32nd Grand Prix. But it remains a slight Achilles heel that Piastri will strive to work on. Norris is dominating his teammate in the Grand Prix head-to-head battle this year.
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