McLaren’s pace at the Formula 1 Japanese GP impressed even Andrea Stella, the team principal, who highlighted the positive day, especially for managing to keep George Russell behind.
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In Suzuka, the papaya team returned to being one of the front-running teams and fought for pole position. After two complicated opening rounds, it not only showed good pace but Oscar Piastri finally managed to compete in his first race – and finished in second place after an intense battle with the Mercedes opponent.
Therefore, the McLaren boss was surprised and happy with what the team showed in Suzuka in the third round of Formula 1. “First of all, it was a very positive day for the team in general. We were in a position to start with two cars, which is unprecedented this year,” he said.
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“We were in a position to complete the race. We confirmed the progress we saw yesterday in qualifying, progress that allowed Oscar to lead the race after a very good start. We were surprised ourselves, especially at the end of the first stint, where we not only managed to keep Russell behind, but also opened up a gap,” he added.
“So, we thought we should go ahead to maintain the lead, as we wanted to try to win the race,” he concluded.
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