Why does Piastri continue to struggle to keep up with Norris at Spa?

Oscar Piastri admitted McLaren endured a difficult qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix after the Australian could manage only seventh fastest, saying the team struggled throughout the day to find the right balance with the car.

While team-mate Lando Norris challenged near the front of the field, Piastri was unable to match the pace shown by the reigning world champion.

The Australian's qualifying was further compromised when he dipped a wheel into the gravel on his first Q3 run before recovering to post a best lap of 1:45.016 on his final attempt.

Reflecting on the session, Piastri said McLaren never fully unlocked the potential of the MCL40: "It was a trickier day for us," Piastri said.

"We have struggled to find the right balance with the car and extract the maximum lap time. Our final lap in Q3 was a step in the right direction, but it's clear we haven't had an easy time.

"We had to use an extra set of new tyres in Q2 just to be safe, which shows how challenging the session was," continued the McLaren driver.

The Australian also acknowledged that predicting McLaren's race pace would be difficult after a disrupted weekend, but believes the unpredictable nature of Spa-Francorchamps could still create opportunities to move forward.

"Looking ahead to the race, it's difficult to predict our exact pace since our running has been limited," he said.

"The pack around us is incredibly tight, however a race here is always eventful, especially on the first lap, so we'll be looking to make the most of any opportunities that arise."

Despite the challenging weekend, Piastri revealed McLaren has already identified areas where improvements can be made to the car.

"We have some good ideas on how to improve the car's characteristics going forward, and hopefully we can make things a bit easier in the races to come."