Oscar Piastri Says McLaren Needed F1 Canada GP to Last 100 Laps

Oscar Piastri believes McLaren needed the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix to last 100 laps instead of 70 to truly benefit from their tyre performance.

McLaren entered the Montreal race expecting strong results, but the team struggled to match the usual pace that helped them fight for wins earlier in the 2025 season. From practice sessions on Friday, McLaren had trouble finding grip.

In qualifying, Piastri managed to secure third on the starting grid behind George Russell and Max Verstappen, while teammate Lando Norris ended up seventh after mistakes on his flying laps.

During the race, Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve did not deliver the conditions McLaren hoped for. The team usually benefits when the rear tyres degrade faster, but on Sunday, the weather and track surface did not create enough stress for that advantage to pay off.

Piastri was overtaken by Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli on the opening lap. After that, Antonelli controlled the race from his position, leaving Piastri to battle pressure from Norris instead of attacking the leaders.

The McLaren drivers were involved in a minor collision later in the race, further complicating the team’s day.

Piastri explained that the car became stronger in longer runs, making the Australian wish for a longer event. He said, “Our pace wasn’t great in the first stint on the medium tyres. Where we started to shine was later in the stints, when the others dropped off. Unfortunately, we probably needed the race to be about 100 laps, not 70, to make the most of it.”

The MCL39 did not have enough edge to complete overtakes on track, which Piastri called “frustrating” given the circuit’s low-speed corners. McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, added that the track’s design—mainly braking and acceleration zones with little mid-corner phase—did not play to the car’s strengths.

Stella highlighted that improvements made between Friday practice and qualifying were positive, but the circuit’s bumps and emphasis on traction exposed McLaren’s weaknesses. “On this layout, there is not much mid-corner phase. You are either on the brakes or on the throttle. In both cases, our car struggled a bit at first,” Stella noted.

He praised the engineering team for experimenting successfully with set-ups, which helped in qualifying, but admitted race pace remained below expectations.

Despite finishing off the podium for the first time in 2025, Piastri is not worried yet. He pointed out that Mercedes was fast at this track last year, and this result may reflect the Silver Arrows’ real potential. More details on Mercedes’ recent performance can be found in the context of Mercedes FIA rule change.

Piastri said, “As a team, we know it was a tough race and we need to improve. But I’m still confident about the rest of the season.”

The next round will take place at the Austrian Grand Prix on the Red Bull Ring, a layout featuring both low-speed corners similar to Montreal and faster sections.

The team will look for answers there as they aim to bounce back and show they can convert their tyre and set-up strengths into top results again. For insights on tyre and setup strategies at circuits with low-speed corners, see the analysis from the F1 Spanish GP flexi wing report.

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.