In a tight F1 Italian GP Qualifying session, which saw multiple drivers in the running for pole, Oscar Piastri didn’t put a foot wrong but still missed out on the front row.
The Italian GP weekend marked the first time in recent events where McLaren wasn’t the outright favorite for pole position heading into the weekend.
At the end of Qualifying, both McLaren Drivers had to concede pole positions to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Piastri, who had finished Qualifying for the Italian GP in P3, summarized his performance as ‘okay’.
Speaking in the press conference, Piastri noted that he struggled in Q1, but felt more comfortable as the session progressed.
The Australian described his P3 lap as ‘solid’, but conceded that his McLaren was lacking a bit in the end.
“It was okay.
“I feel like Q1 was a little bit of a struggle, but then Q2 and Q3, I was pretty comfortable.
“It was a solid lap without being amazing, but I think it’s been clear for us anyway that the competition’s been much tighter this weekend, and also with some unexpected teams and cars.
“So, it’s not a huge shock for us, but I felt like I managed it pretty well, just ultimately lacking a little bit at the end.”
Missed practice session is not much of a factor
Piastri sat out FP1 of the Italian GP after handing over the wheel of his MCL39 to McLaren junior Alex Dunne.
Asked whether missing out on the first practice session played a part in his performance, especially considering this week’s tight margins, Piastri didn’t want to put too much weight on the missed session.
“It’s always hard to know how much it costs, but it’s definitely not what you would choose to do.
“Obviously, it’s in the rules, but I think there are worse tracks to miss for an FP1, so I don’t really want to put too much of it down to that.”
Piastri ‘pretty happy’ with Qualifying performance
Compared to his teammate, Piastri struggled less, advancing through the sessions without any issues.
Although the 24-year-old McLaren driver was satisfied with the rhythm and his laps, he admitted that there were a few corners he would like to redo.
Having left little on the table, Piastri was overall ‘pretty happy’ with his performance in Qualifying for the Italian GP.
“I would say yes.
“I think Q1 was a little bit tricky to get into the rhythm, but Q2 and Q3, I was pretty happy.
“I feel like I put in good laps that were clean and improved every lap I did.
“There are a couple of corners that I would probably like to do again, but I think it’s rare that you leave a qualifying session not having that feeling.
“So, I’m pretty happy.”
Piastri ‘reasonably confident’ about Italian GP chances
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s Italian GP, Piastri is ‘reasonably confident’ considering that race pace is one of McLaren’s strengths.
While race pace is a strength of the MCL39, Piastri feels that the competition was much closer in practice runs for the Italian GP.
The Australian believes that multiple factors could influence the outcome of the race.
“I think reasonably confident.
“It is generally a strength of ours, but it didn’t look night and day above everyone else yesterday.
“So, let’s wait and see.
“It’s a track where slipstreams make a big difference.
“The start can be pretty chaotic.
“So, I think there’s going to be a few factors at play apart from just pure pace.”
