Piastri Identifies Soft-Tyre Lap as Key Disadvantage in Abu Dhabi Practice

Oscar Piastri has identified his failure to maximize his soft-tyre lap in practice as a crucial factor in his disadvantage during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix practice sessions. Piastri, unlike his title rivals Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, was required to sit out FP1 at Yas Marina, having only fulfilled the mandatory two rookie practice sessions once before in Italy.

Why it matters:

Piastri's reduced track time in FP1, followed by a suboptimal performance on soft tyres in FP2, puts him at a disadvantage going into a critical title-deciding weekend. Every lap and every bit of data is crucial at this stage of the season, and any missed opportunity to fine-tune the car or gain track familiarity could prove costly against his direct competitors. For a driver in a championship fight, every session counts.

The Details:

• Mandatory FP1 Sit-Out: Piastri was forced to cede his car to Pato O'Ward for FP1, fulfilling the requirement for teams to run a rookie in at least two practice sessions per season. This meant he started FP2 with less track time than many of his rivals.
• FP2 Performance: Upon returning for FP2, Piastri finished 11th on the timesheets. He attributed this to not fully capitalizing on the grip offered by the soft tyres during his initial timed lap.
• Tyre Management: "I didn't get the most out of the grip on the first timed lap on the softs," Piastri explained, highlighting a specific area for improvement.
• Car's Condition: Despite the personal shortfall, Piastri indicated that the car itself felt like it was "in a pretty decent place," suggesting that the issues were more about his acclimatization and fine-tuning rather than fundamental car setup problems.
• Focus for Saturday: Piastri emphasized the need for more laps and gaining a better feel for the car, particularly on new sets of tyres, to be competitive for qualifying.

What's next:

Piastri will be looking to quickly get up to speed in Saturday's practice session to make up for lost time and ensure he's in optimal form for qualifying. Maximizing the remaining track time will be critical for him to bridge the gap to his rivals and put himself in a strong position for the title decider.