Piastri's Pace Deficit in Mexico Qualifying a Mystery
Oscar Piastri's grip on the F1 world championship is loosening after a disappointing qualifying performance in Mexico City.
Piastri will start the Grand Prix from seventh on the grid, after qualifying eighth and being promoted due to Carlos Sainz's penalty.
The cumulative effect has been anything but negligible.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella described the time loss as "milliseconds in every corner". Piastri's best effort in Q3 left him 0.588 seconds behind pole-sitter and teammate Lando Norris.
Piastri's pace deficit is a concern for the team, with the driver and team unable to explain the significant gap.
Author's summary: Piastri's championship lead is under threat.