Why McLaren were positively surprised after the Chinese Grand Prix
F1 News
Oscar Piastri himself was not confident about the Chinese Grand Prix weekend and did not think he could be competitive due to the track's layout not favouring the McLaren car. But the opposite happened.
Surprising weekend for the McLaren
With pole for Saturday's sprint race and second place for Sunday's race, McLaren goes home with a good weekend behind them, even though this result was not expected. "We came here thinking this was a damage limitation event, but actually it’s been the most competitive event," McLaren team boss Andrea Stella told Sky Sports.
Not everything went smoothly during the race; for example, panic briefly emerged during the virtual safety car when Lando Norris did not come in for a pit stop at first. "Unfortunately, the timing was such, that it was right after Lando had passed the first entry. And then we were very nervous that the virtual safety car would be short. But, let me say, luckily enough, it was long, so we didn’t have any loss," Stella said with relief.
They certainly didn't lose either, with Norris finishing the race in second place to return to the podium. "We gained second position. And then, in fairness, we maintained the second position thanks to the pace of the car and the amazing driving from Lando."
Stella himself is also proud of the team's results. "But Formula 1 often surprises you because it’s sensitive to so many parameters. But, anyhow, good result, good surprise. I’m really happy for the men and women at McLaren."