Piastri not able to drive ‘through pure instinct’ – Stella

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has analyzed the recent performance struggles of Oscar Piastri. Following a sixth-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, questions have arisen regarding the Australian driver's pace compared to teammate Lando Norris. Stella emphasizes that Piastri's difficulties are purely technical rather than psychological, noting that when grip levels are low, Piastri must adapt his natural driving style, which requires significant mental processing and results in a slight loss of pace. Stella also acknowledged that team errors, such as a slow pit stop during the Zandvoort race, hindered Piastri's potential. Furthermore, issues with tyre temperature management during his second stint on hard compound tyres caused his performance to drop significantly. The team boss remains optimistic, highlighting the incredibly tight competition at the front of the grid where any minor lack of optimization can lead to substantial losses in position.