Australian driver Oscar Piastri has expressed confidence in McLaren's preparations for the upcoming season, indicating that the team has established a “solid place to be starting from.” This optimism follows a largely successful pre-season testing period where the McLaren MCL39 demonstrated mostly “faultless” performance on the track. Despite this positive outlook, Piastri acknowledged that there remain areas for improvement as they head into the first race.
During the final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, Piastri secured a commendable fourth place on the timesheets, completing an impressive 84 laps during the afternoon session. He reflected on the team's performance, stating, “That’s testing done. I think it was a productive three days. We tried a lot of things and learned a lot.” His insights suggest that the team utilized the testing period effectively to gauge the car's performance and identify key areas for development.
“Some things felt quite good, others still need improvement, but working through this is exactly what testing is for,” Piastri added. His remarks emphasize the importance of testing as a crucial phase in the racing calendar, allowing teams to fine-tune their vehicles ahead of competitive events.
Piastri's teammate, Lando Norris, also participated in the testing, driving the car during the morning session of the final day. He concluded the day in 11th place with a lap total of 57. Norris noted that the conditions were challenging due to wind and temperature fluctuations. “Once I was comfortable, we were able to work through our plan and collect more data,” he said, highlighting the team’s focus on data collection and analysis.
As the team prepares for the Australian Grand Prix scheduled from March 14-16, both Piastri and Norris are eager to review the data collected during testing. Team Principal Andrea Stella praised the efforts of the Woking-based outfit, stating, “The end of three productive days here in Bahrain. We completed our aero tests this morning, before giving both Lando and Oscar a chance for some runs to allow them to gain insight into the capabilities of the car.”
Stella emphasized the importance of the data analysis phase, saying, “We have plenty to analyze and work on before the first race of the season in two weeks' time.” His comments reflect the team's commitment to continuous improvement and readiness as they transition from testing to competition.
As McLaren gears up for the season opener, Piastri's confidence, alongside Norris and Stella's insights, creates an optimistic atmosphere within the team. With a focus on analyzing their pre-season testing performance, McLaren aims to hit the ground running in Australia, prepared for the challenges ahead.
