F1 News: Oscar Piastri Speaks Out On Extensive McLaren Upgrades

Oscar Piastri, who pilots the McLaren in Formula 1, holds a promising outlook for the team’s future performance as the upcoming races beckon. The team from Woking, despite encountering a rocky start to the 2023 season, is all set to revamp their game with a sequence of upgrades they plan to implement. Piastri envisions these enhancements as game-changers, significantly raising McLaren’s potential on the tracks.

The MCL60 car, the team’s racehorse for the year, had initially fallen short of the development objectives they set out with. This put the team at a disadvantage as they stepped into the new season. However, the tables started to turn at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with the introduction of the first significant upgrade of the year. Further modifications are lined up for the upcoming races at Austria and Silverstone.

Speaking about the upcoming changes, Piastri shares with the media in Canada, “I haven’t driven in the simulator yet. So I’m not sure [what they’re like],” he admits, adding optimistically, “Hopefully, it’s faster. That’s obviously the plan. I think we’re positive and optimistic about the new package we’ve got coming for Austria and Silverstone. We’ll have to wait and see but I’m looking forward to firstly driving it in the sim when I have the chance and then obviously on the real track too.”

The team is facing a race against time to fine-tune these enhancements, with the Austrian Grand Prix, the year’s second Sprint event, slated for this weekend, leaving just one free practice session.

Yet, Piastri remains undeterred, eyeing a top-10 finish in Austria, his first scoring opportunity since the Monaco Grand Prix. He expresses his anticipation, saying, “I’m looking forward to returning to the Red Bull Ring, this time in an F1 car. I quite enjoyed the new Sprint format in Baku, so I’m looking forward to experiencing that again this weekend and hopefully bring back some points for the team.”