Perez’s F1 Woes: The Unexpected Boost Keeping McLaren's Title Dream Alive
Oscar Piastri has candidly acknowledged that Sergio Perez’s continuing struggles in the 2024 Formula 1 season are inadvertently keeping McLaren's championship aspirations afloat. McLaren, rapidly establishing itself as Red Bull’s fiercest competitor since their game-changing upgrades at the Miami Grand Prix, is reaping unexpected benefits from Perez’s dip in form.
Since Miami, McLaren's revamped MCL38 has consistently made its mark, raking in six consecutive podiums and a triumphant victory. However, it hasn't all been straight sailing for the team, especially as Red Bull's Max Verstappen continues to shine, blocking McLaren’s path to more wins. In stark contrast, Sergio Perez has been grappling with performance issues, most notably marked by his setbacks in Austria.
In a fateful Austrian GP, Perez lamented early damage to his car, leading to a seventh-place finish behind Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg. While Verstappen soldiered on despite a late pit stop following a collision with Lando Norris, Perez’s underwhelming performance has only added 15 points to Red Bull's tally across five races. As McLaren trails Red Bull by a substantial 87 points in the championship standings, Piastri’s statement on Perez underscores how Red Bull's misfortune translates into a glimmer of hope for McLaren.
When asked about Perez's inconsistent results, Piastri remarked, “It certainly helps our Constructors’ Championship a bit. I mean it has just been Max really, which whenever you have two cars up the front versus one, it opens up some opportunities and is always good for point scoring. So yeah, I think it’s just always a good thing.”
These comments reflect McLaren’s optimism, especially after their extensive upgrade package in Miami eradicated the team's previous weaknesses in slow-speed corners, making the MCL38 a contender across all types of circuits. “I think it (the car) should perform everywhere,” Piastri assessed confidently. Despite recognizing some relative weaknesses compared to rivals like Ferrari and Red Bull, Piastri believes McLaren can be a competitive force across various tracks and conditions.
Reflecting on the competition and the diverse track conditions faced so far this season, Piastri said, “We’ve had so many different types of track, different conditions, different surfaces and we’ve been one of the quickest cars at basically everywhere we’ve gone. So I think with the amount of data and evidence we’ve had already, I’m confident we’ll be good everywhere.”
Austria proved to be a challenging venue for Piastri as well. A track limits violation saw him drop from third on the grid to seventh, a mishap that cost him a potential win during the heated clash between teammate Lando Norris and Verstappen. Despite the setback, Piastri remains undeterred, eyeing his maiden victory at Silverstone with unrestrained determination.
“I think I’m definitely in the hunt for the win. We’ve had a really competitive car for the last three months. There’s been a lot of near misses and opportunities. I don’t think there’s been a clear-cut opportunity where we could have easily won. But we’ve been in the fight for a long time now,” Piastri reflected.
As he looks ahead, Piastri exhibits a winning mindset, backed by McLaren's consistent performances. “I think we’ve given ourselves enough evidence on enough different tracks to be able to say that we’re back and able to fight for wins. So for myself, I want to be up in the fight for that.”
Yet, Piastri acknowledges the formidable challenge ahead, recognizing Red Bull's prowess, especially in high-speed corners, as evidenced by their performance at the Red Bull Ring. “I think Red Bull will be strong,” he admitted. “They were very quick in the high-speed corners in Barcelona, very quick in the high-speed in Austria. And I mean basically this whole track is high-speed corners. So I think they’ll be very tough to beat.”
Nonetheless, Piastri is emboldened by McLaren’s recent improvements, particularly in slower corners that have previously been their Achilles' heel. “I think it will be a good fight towards the front. But given how quick they were in the high-speed last week compared to everyone, not just us, I think they’ll be very tough,” Piastri added thoughtfully.
With all eyes on Silverstone, the anticipation builds as McLaren aims to capitalize on Red Bull's internal strife to inch closer to the championship title. Can Piastri clinch his maiden win? Only time will tell as the drama of the 2024 season unfolds.