McLaren was on a high after beating the likes of Ferrari and Renault to take the 3rd spot in the standings in 2020. Many expected the Woking-based outfit to build on it and soon become a title contender once again. The reality turned out to be quite different, though. Since then, the team has been riding on a consistent downward spiral with a P4 finish in 2021 and P5 in 2022. The current season has exposed their weaknesses further. Some would even say that Oscar Piastri made a mistake choosing them over Alpine, who are arguably in a better position. The Aussie rookie, however, considers himself lucky because of one simple yet important reason.

Piastri arrived in F1 with the reputation of a proven champion. Having proved his pedigree with championship wins in Renault Eurocup, F3, and F2, Oscar was already a hot property. That was when Alpine swooped in and got his signature to be their third driver for the 2022 season. The 2022 season was still underway when a legal battle ensued between the French team and McLaren. McLaren claimed to have signed Piastri as their replacement for Daniel Ricciardo for the 2023 season. Alpine on the other hand claimed the agreement to be invalid. Eventually, the Contract Regulation Board (CRB) ruled in the Woking-based team’s favor.

McLaren’s dwindling form does not bother Oscar Piastri

Something is better than nothing. That’s how the saying goes, right? Well, Oscar feels exactly that way. Driving as a regular for a struggling team is certainly better than sitting on the sidelines.

Motorsport-total recently quoted him as saying, “The goal now is not wins or pole positions, but in this case points or participation in Q2 and Q3. So there is less for me to get than in the junior classes.” [Translated using Google]

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“But you still give everything and prepare yourself normally. That doesn’t change. I don’t know it any differently in Formula 1 and I’m very grateful that I can drive at all and don’t have to watch. Seen from that perspective, it’s pretty easy for me to stay motivated.”

“And I guess every driver who is new to Formula 1 feels that way. 99 percent of these climbers have won something in the junior classes, so it’s similar for everyone.”

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Coming from a rookie who has tasted success at the very top until now, the statement is a clear sign of maturity. It’s good to see that he is ready to adapt and get back to the drawing board to reset his goals as per the situation at hand.

Andrea Stella provides the team a “reality check” as Oscar and Lando Norris fail to impress in Miami

F1 went into a 4-week hiatus before the action resumed in Baku. McLaren, just like many other teams, used this opportunity to bring in a big set of amendments. One of the Woking team’s biggest changes was the floor which instantly paid off. Given how much the team was struggling until then, the P9 finish for Lando Norris and P11 for Piastri was a positive result. However, all progress seemed to fade away in Miami. Lando took damage on Lap 1 after a collision with Nyck de Vries while Oscar had break-by-wire issues. Resultantly, the duo finished 17th and 19th, respectively.

Motorsport.com quoted team principal Andrea Stella as saying, “The main takeaway is that after a decent weekend in Baku from a performance point of view, we had a reality check.”

“The information we gained here helps us understand that some development directions still need to be pursued, like improving the car in off-brakes, off-throttle.”

“At the moment, the car just doesn’t work in this condition. At tracks like this, this becomes too much of a limitation.”

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Last year, Alpine beat McLaren to the 4th spot in the constructors’ championship. Currently, the two are tied with 14 pints each after 5 races. Who do you think will finish ahead this year as the rivalry continues to rage between the two camps?