Amid an Unexpected Illness, McLaren Boss Praises Oscar Piastri’s Fighting Spirit To Deliver on Expectations: “Impressive in the Way He Deals”

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri made it to Q3 on Friday. Team McLaren appears to have delivered on its pledge to make some improvements at Baku Circuit. The standalone shootout, however, didn’t go as the team had hoped as both of their drivers finished outside the points. Nevertheless, in the midst of all the excitement and adrenaline, sometimes we neglect to pay attention to what our beloved drivers are experiencing. Reportedly, Oscar Piastri has been hit by an unexpected illness. Showing a sense of responsibility, the team boss, Andrea Stella, is full of praise for the young Australian driver.

After finishing 10th in the sprint race and taking care of all of his responsibilities, the 21-year-old McLaren prodigy appeared in a number of post-race television interviews. However, later in the evening, he skipped McLaren’s routine media event. The Melbournian’s absence from the media event aroused concerns about his whereabouts. When the Speedcafe inquired about the Australian driver’s status, it was discovered that Oscar Piastri had been suffering from food poisoning.

In response to whether he would be able to compete, Team boss Andrea Stella lauded the 21-year-old’s tenacity and remarked, “I think he’s going to be okay. But today, yesterday, the day before, it’s been a little bit of a struggle, so he’s actually doing very well, I would say, in terms of driving.”

Praising Piastri’s demeanor, Stella added, “You wouldn’t be able to say from the outside that the driver is actually not feeling very well. Oscar is also impressive in the way he deals with that because he doesn’t really want to show it, even to us. He keeps calm, he keeps his bearing, but we know that he’s struggling, so he’s doing well. But we are positive that for the race, it shouldn’t be an issue. He should be in a better situation.”

READ MORE: Christian Horner Bizarrely Appreciates Max Verstappen’s Non Violent Tactics After Fiery Spat With George Russell: “Good That He Left…”

Despite having a sickness, Piastri, 21, has been providing the team with everything they needed from him. And from their team’s standpoint, it was widely assumed that the papaya army would bring some changes to the MCL 60 in Baku. However, ever since the upgrades were brought by the Woking, the Australian has been gushing over it.

Oscar Piastri provides important updates on Team McLaren’s most recent upgrades

The campaign this year for the papaya army gets off to a terrible start. Piastri only completed 15 laps in his maiden GP, whereas Norris was lapped by best friend Max Verstappen. However, the team has been looking good since the Australian Grand Prix, and while the team is doing well, its drivers have been vocal.

Where Lando Norris still has a few complaints from the team, Piastri can’t stop gushing over it. As per the Speedcafe, the Australian talks about the upgrades, and a happy Piastri said, “The car is feeling good. In terms of balance and behavior, it feels pretty similar to how it was previously, it’s just faster.”

Showing optimism for the rest of the year, the Australian said, “That’s a good place to be in. I don’t know if our car is just working well here with the new Tarmac, or these upgrades are working a bit better than we thought, but it seems to be a good step forward, which is really encouraging for the rest of the year.”

Do you think team Mclaren can show real potential at the Azerbaijan GP, given both of their drivers experiencing a good time in the modified MCL60?