Oscar Piastri hailed the last couple of events as “probably two of my better weekends in F1” after finishing a solid P4 in the Imola Grand Prix. From the outset of the weekend, Piastri’s performance impressed many.
Photo Credit: McLaren Racing
A penalty for Piastri
Piastri’s strong qualifying session saw him secure a competitive position on the starting grid, bolstered by McLaren’s newest upgrade package. However, a three-place grid penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen during Q1 meant he ultimately started from P5.
Despite his teammate Lando Norris securing P2, Piastri found it challenging to move up the field, citing the difficulties of overtaking on the track.
“It was basically impossible to overtake today,” Piastri commented, noting that despite his car’s impressive pace, his starting position limited his potential. He spent a significant portion of the race in Carlos Sainz’s DRS zone but could not find a way to pass until McLaren executed a successful undercut, allowing him to claim P4.
Piastri says the race was “pretty boring”
“I had like 20 laps behind Carlos trying to get past and just could never get close enough,” Piastri reflected. He acknowledged the impact of the shortened DRS zone on his race, expressing his hope for changes in future races.
“We made DRS shorter this year. I hope they make it longer again because clearly, I don’t know what the rest of the race was like, but it was pretty boring for me.”
Reflecting on his performance, Piastri remained positive about his progress. “I think that was the most we could have done today really, which is a bit of a shame considering how much pace we’ve had this weekend.”
He expressed satisfaction with his recent performances, despite the setbacks. “The last two weekends have been really good as a team, obviously, but I think personally they’ve been very strong as well. I think probably two of my better weekends in F1. So, I’ve been happy with how I’ve been performing.”
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Zak Brown thinks McLaren could “have had two cars on the podium”
Piastri’s efforts were acknowledged by McLaren’s chief executive, Zak Brown, who highlighted the team’s support and the impact of the penalty on Piastri’s race.
“Oscar did an awesome job in qualifying yesterday. We made a mistake, which meant he had to start P5. I think had Oscar been able to start on the front row, then I think we would have had two cars on the podium.”
Piastri himself remains optimistic, appreciating the improvements brought by the team’s upgrade package and his car’s enhanced performance.
“I think I’ve been confident from the first lap of practice, and, you know, had a really good qualifying. It’s just a shame about the penalty because I think it’s unfortunately limited what we could have done.”
Looking ahead, Piastri is determined to continue delivering strong performances.
“I’m sure if I keep doing the right things, then that time will come. So, I’m very, very happy. The team are giving us plenty of opportunities now to score podiums and wins. It’s pretty exciting to be genuinely able to say we can fight for wins.”
His focus remains on improving and capitalising on the car’s strengths, confident that his perseverance will soon yield greater results.
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