Hamilton’s exceptional defensive skills and a different strategy, which involved not making a pit stop during an early Safety Car period, prevented Piastri from overtaking him.
Despite initial doubt, McLaren has successfully acquired a Mercedes specialist in rear wing technology after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The race provided a glimmer of hope for McLaren to secure a spot on the podium at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
However, Oscar Piastri found himself stuck behind Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes for most of the race, reducing his chances of moving forward as the laps went by.
Hamilton’s impressive defensive skills and a unique strategy that avoided a pit stop during an early Safety Car period kept Piastri at a distance.
It wasn’t until Hamilton made a pit stop on Lap 37 that Piastri was finally able to move ahead, ultimately achieving a remarkable fourth-place finish behind Charles Leclerc and the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
This performance earned McLaren 12 valuable points and, amusingly, a specialist in rear wing technology in the form of Piastri, as he later joked on social media.
Piastri’s attempts to overtake Hamilton were filled with challenges, including several daring moves that took him off the track.
Looking back on the race, Piastri jokingly suggested to Sky F1 that getting rid of his rear wing might have been a strategy to pass Hamilton sooner.
However, he recognized the impressive speed of Mercedes on the straightaways and McLaren’s struggles at the final corner as significant obstacles to his progress.
Mercedes’ speed, especially on the straightaways, combined with McLaren’s weaknesses, particularly at the last corner, made overtaking Hamilton a difficult task.
Piastri expressed his frustration at not being able to effectively challenge Hamilton earlier in the race, but he doubted that it would have significantly changed his final position due to Ferrari’s superior performance.
Christian Horner’s #RedBull still facing uncertainty as #FIA gets involved.
Piastri admitted that even with an earlier pass, it would have been difficult to reach the podium and challenge Leclerc.
He believed that staying close to Ferrari was the best McLaren could hope for given their current level of performance.
This sentiment highlighted a well-executed weekend by McLaren, resulting in the team securing third place in the early standings of the F1 2024 Constructors’ Championship, with Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris finishing in eighth.