Oscar Piastri had the option to run McLaren’s latest suspension update at the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, but opted against it, going on to secure third place in qualifying.
Montreal has not been a particularly strong venue for McLaren so far this weekend, with the team appearing off the pace compared to its recent form.
Even though the MCL39 typically excels on a Sunday, a third-place start for Piastri and seventh for team-mate Lando Norris suggests a win may be out of reach this time.
The track characteristics at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve don’t appear to suit McLaren’s 2025 car, which comprised a revised suspension configuration on Norris’ car alone.
The British driver said he would reserve assessment on the modified part, with boss Andrea Stella admitting more time was needed to assess the change’s impact.
Piastri, meanwhile, explained his decision to stick with the standard setup, prioritising consistency over change.
“I’m not that concerned really; I’m obviously not going to get into too much detail on it, but I could have run it if I wanted to, and I didn’t really,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“It changes some things – some things are better, some things are worse.
“It’s not as simple. It’s not an upgrade, it’s a different part. So, yeah, I had the option to run it but chose not to.
“I’ve been happy with how the car’s been so far this year and, again, just wanted to keep consistency.”
What’s behind McLaren’s latest update?
Stella acknowledged that Piastri and Norris might continue using different suspension setups, but he downplayed the importance, describing it as a minor adjustment rather than a game-changing upgrade.
“It is possible that the two drivers will adopt a different specification of front suspension, but we are talking about minor changes from a suspension geometry point of view,” he said.
“It is certainly nothing that is dramatically impactful from a performance point of view, it just affects the way in which the drivers perceive what’s happening at the tyre, through the front suspension and the steering.
“So it really has to do with some preferential aspects in terms of how drivers drive the car, rather than an increase of grip on the car.
“And let me say that there are some other things, from a suspension point of view, that are actually slightly different between Lando and Oscar but they are part of some minor parameters.”
On missing out on pole position on Saturday, Piastri added: “That’s a bit of the price you pay for not being on top of things from the start.
“You miss that extra half a tenth, maybe, and that can be the difference. That’s more or less what it was today.”
READ MORE – McLaren certain key Canada F1 update a ‘success’ despite missing pole
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