Piastri says McLaren handled Mexico’s altitude better than expected

Oscar Piastri believes McLaren coped with the altitude in Mexico better than he had anticipated. After the second practice session, the driver said the conditions had been less difficult than expected, while admitting that his qualifying simulation had been “pretty messy.”

The Mexico City venue is located at an elevation exceeding 2,200 metres. Piastri described the experience as difficult, but not as demanding as he had feared: he found the car relatively competitive and was broadly satisfied with the day. The Australian acknowledged that his soft-tyre lap had not come together, but felt McLaren’s underlying pace was there.

He sees room to improve by correcting his mistakes, but expects a strong challenge. Piastri said beating Ferrari the following day would be very difficult and that the field was closely matched. He also explained that the low grip did not feel radically different from what the cars encounter elsewhere this season. In his view, the challenge involves both the car’s balance and engine cooling.

The turbo question also came up. Mercedes driver George Russell had suggested that Ferrari’s smaller turbo could offer an advantage at altitude. Piastri does not believe that factor alone will decide things: he had seen Ferrari look slower on the straights and thinks its effect may be limited in normal conditions, though it could matter in some circumstances.

Ferrari set the fastest time in the second session through Charles Leclerc, while McLaren’s Lando Norris finished second. Those results lend immediate context to Piastri’s measured assessment: he believes in McLaren’s potential, but is not underestimating the task of taking on Ferrari.