Oscar Piastri backed Norris up with P3, although he never quite looked on the pace of his team mate this weekend. Nonetheless, his seventh straight podium ensures the Australian remains in the lead of the championship – albeit by just three points now.
The scene is set for a tight intra-team fight all the way to Abu Dhabi, with Max Verstappen not out of the reckoning either as he continues to be there or thereabouts for Red Bull.
“This year, unlike last year, Oscar struggled to keep the rhythm. At times, he struggled a bit with the car, especially with some nervousness of the car in low speed,” Stella explained.
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“And this is also why, even in Qualifying, it took him a little bit of time to build the proper speed and he stepped a little one step behind compared to the full potential that he could have expressed.
“So, more than the absolute speed, it’s the consistency of the speed that I think he missed throughout the weekend. I think there’s a few things that we need to review on Oscar’s side, but overall, a very positive weekend.
“We always say, with both Lando and Oscar, that championships are made of consistency. So, when you cannot be as fast as you want, stay there. Sometimes you will not be able to win, but stay there and this is ultimately what Oscar has been able to [do].”
/HD7ZsX-W8AAWxO-.webp?ssl=1 "Check out Racing Bulls’ special livery for the Japanese Grand Prix")
