Oscar Piastri has warned that the shape Mercedes displayed in Baku, mixed with a recent improve bundle arriving on the Sepang Worldwide Circuit, factors to a frightening weekend on the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
George Russell took pole place for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by a staggering 0.837 seconds over nearest rival Charles Leclerc, with Piastri himself solely an extra thousandth again in third.
The Briton went on to win the race by slightly below two-tenths over Max Verstappen, with Piastri sliding to P14 after locking up at Flip 1 whereas battling the Purple Bull driver for second place.
Nonetheless, regardless of that slim victory margin, the W17 was the category of the sphere, and Mercedes has now delivered its first main technical improve since Could’s Canadian Grand Prix.
The bundle is known to be aimed toward closing a deficit on typical, downforce-sensitive circuits after latest struggles in opposition to McLaren, with some estimating a lap-time achieve of round three tenths of a second.
Piastri, who misplaced out in a straight-line velocity battle at Baku partly as a result of MCL40’s higher-drag, higher-downforce rear-wing configuration chosen to guard tyre temperatures within the gradual corners, believes Sepang’s flowing, high-speed structure ought to play into his automotive’s palms.
“Hopefully it will go well with us a bit greater than Baku did,” Piastri instructed media, together with RacingNews365. “Clearly, there’s some fairly lengthy straights right here, however there’s additionally some high-speed corners, which typically is the place we have been sturdy this 12 months.
“For me, on a private degree, I felt like I discovered a bit extra understanding of what I have to do to get lap day trip of the automotive.
“Within the race, it was fairly clear that we have been struggling a bit by way of lap time in comparison with, particularly, Mercedes and Purple Bull.”
Piastri uncertain the place McLaren sits
Sepang’s structure stands in distinction to the tight, low-speed nature of Baku. The center sector specifically is constructed round a sustained, high-speed sweeping sequence, most notably by the quick Turns 5 and 6 and the double-apex Turns 7 and eight, the place automobiles want sturdy aerodynamic downforce and a steady platform to hold velocity by the apex.
The circuit additionally calls for that groups strike a stability, because it pairs these high-downforce sections with two lengthy straights, which means a automotive’s aerodynamic effectivity issues simply as a lot as outright cornering grip.
That mixture is anticipated to go well with McLaren’s strengths this 12 months excess of the stop-start calls for of the Baku road circuit did, and explains Piastri’s optimism heading into the weekend.
However the timing of Mercedes’ improve provides one other layer of intrigue. The revised bodywork and sidepod bundle has been designed to sharpen cornering efficiency with out sacrificing straight-line velocity.
With Russell having already demonstrated imperious one-lap tempo in Baku, the prospect of Mercedes including additional efficiency at a circuit that ought to theoretically favour McLaren is clearly weighing on Piastri’s thoughts.
“However I feel right here ought to go well with us a bit greater than Baku; the place precisely will we sit? I do not know,” the Australian added.
“Clearly, Mercedes is bringing upgrades, from what I hear. So, in the event that they’re on pole by eight tenths final week, that is not an excellent signal.
“So, let’s wait and see. However I feel it ought to go well with us a bit higher. And I feel, for me, on a private notice, I felt happier in… perhaps not glad, clearly, with the tip outcome, however I really feel like I had a bit extra understanding.”
