Oscar Piastri shines in Monaco qualifying
Piastri put in an admirable performance during qualifying in Monaco on Saturday afternoon, outshining his teammate Lando Norris, who achieved the fourth fastest time.
The young Australian’s impressive display shows his continuous improvement and ability to push his more experienced teammate.
However, securing a win will be a challenge due to the nature of the Monaco track and the difficulty of overtaking. Nevertheless, Piastri remains determined.
“I am extremely pleased with my performance,” Piastri said in McLaren’s qualifying report. “Starting on the front row alongside the incredibly fast Leclerc is a great achievement.
“We are gaining momentum constantly, and it is fitting to do so in these iconic colors,” he added, referring to the paint and racing gear of Ayrton Senna used by McLaren over the weekend.
“Our goal for tomorrow is to make a strong start and seize every opportunity that comes our way. Although overtaking is challenging, we will give our best. With a favorable starting position, we will see what we can achieve,” Piastri concluded.
As for Norris, he commented: “We had a good result in qualifying. It was incredibly close. Naturally, we would have preferred to secure one or two positions higher, especially on a track where overtaking is so difficult. However, I am pleased with our performance and we are in a favorable position.
“The team did a great job in putting Oscar in P2. We achieved a good result as a team and will strive to maximize it,” the British driver concluded.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella summed up the team’s qualifying session, stating: “As usual, qualifying in Monaco was full of tension.
“Numerous teams had a realistic chance of reaching Q3, and we had to approach the session with extreme caution. We had to ensure that we were on track at the right time with the appropriate tires, as it was impossible to predict the ideal moment for the fastest lap,” he explained.
Stella also highlighted Norris’ moment of concern in Q1, revealing: “During Q1, Lando had a scare when a large part of a billboard got stuck under his car.
“The entire team responded quickly to remove it and get him back on track for the crucial final minutes, which they executed excellently.
“Both drivers had an admirable performance under pressure today, resulting in favorable starting positions for tomorrow’s race. We will strive to make the most of this,” Stella concluded.
