Oscar Piastri finished sixth at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, returning to his starting position after a challenging race that highlighted McLaren's performance deficit to leading teams. The Australian driver acknowledged the team simply wasn't quick enough to make significant progress against their rivals.
McLaren made the wrong tire choice at the start, with both Piastri and teammate Lando Norris selecting medium compounds in mixed conditions. Piastri quickly switched to intermediates after the first lap, while the track remained too wet for slicks, dropping him backwards through the field before recovering.
The Melbourne driver expressed particular frustration about the final safety car period, when he was closing rapidly on Charles Leclerc before the interruption halted his progress. He described feeling reasonably happy with his personal performance despite the team's strategic missteps.
When asked about McLaren's competitive position relative to Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, Piastri confirmed they appear behind the leading teams in terms of pure pace. He emphasized that McLaren needs to improve significantly, as their current performance level isn't sufficient for fighting race wins.