Oscar Piastri, the Australian driver for McLaren, revealed that a minor issue in his gearbox caused him to lose valuable time during his final lap in the Qualifying Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix. Despite his teammate, Lando Norris, securing a surprising pole position in wet conditions, Piastri finished significantly three seconds behind, in eighth place. Earlier in the session, Piastri was on par with Norris in drier conditions, even outperforming him in the second session. Although he admits he may not have had the pace to beat Norris to pole, Piastri revealed that the issue on his final lap resulted in a starting position on the fourth row. McLaren Team Principal, Andrea Stella, confirmed Piastri’s claim, stating that without the setback, both drivers could have had higher positions for the Sprint race. Despite concerns about weaknesses in their car at the Shanghai International Circuit, McLaren has shown competitive performance in various conditions, leaving Piastri optimistic about the prospects for the rest of the weekend.
