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Bernie Collins slams McLaren’s needless ‘risk’ that sparked Oscar Piastri’s Q2 exit in Mexico City

Oscar Piastri will start the Mexican Grand Prix from P13 after a disappointing qualifying session for the McLaren driver. There was a staggering gap of…

F1 Oversteer

Published: Saturday, 31 October 2026 at 10:30 PM

Key Things to Know

Bernie Collins criticized McLaren's tire strategy for causing Oscar Piastri's Q2 elimination at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Piastri qualified in P13 after finishing nine-tenths of a second behind McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
McLaren initially sent Piastri out on used soft tires, leaving him only one flying lap on fresh rubber.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Sky Sports analyst Bernie Collins criticized McLaren's qualifying strategy after Oscar Piastri was eliminated in Q2 at the Mexico City Grand Prix. While teammate Lando Norris topped the timesheets, Piastri qualified in P13, nine-tenths of a second behind. Collins argued that McLaren took an unnecessary risk by sending the Australian driver out on used soft tires first rather than using new sets like most front-runners.

According to Collins, the strategy left Piastri with only one lap on fresh soft tires to advance, which he failed to convert. Fellow commentator Karun Chandhok agreed that the tactical choice was poor while also observing tentative car handling from Piastri in the cockpit.

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