Oscar Piastri, an Australian driver representing McLaren, denied feeling any additional pressure to secure his first Formula 1 victory following his teammate Lando Norris’ win in Miami last month. Piastri was able to capitalize on McLaren’s improved performance last season and emerged victorious in the Sprint race in Qatar, defeating both Max Verstappen and Norris. This marked McLaren’s first success since Monza in 2021. However, Norris achieved an even greater feat earlier this season in Miami, winning his first race after 110 Formula 1 appearances. Piastri, on the other hand, faced disappointment due to the timing of the Safety Car and a collision with Carlos Sainz, which dashed his hopes of reaching the podium. He also received a three-place grid penalty in Imola. Despite these setbacks, Piastri expressed satisfaction with his performances, especially his second place in Monaco last weekend.
When asked about the pressure he was putting on himself to replicate Norris’ achievement, Piastri responded before the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, stating that he felt little pressure. He highlighted his strong performances in the past two weekends, especially in Imola, where he believed it was a very good weekend overall. Piastri emphasized the importance of being content with his own performance, even if he finishes fourth, rather than solely focusing on winning races. He acknowledged that different circumstances in the past two weekends could have led to different results, and he intends to continue doing what he has been doing to put himself in a position to achieve positive outcomes.
Despite McLaren’s significant improvement in achieving podiums since Piastri’s debut, he explained that his overall approach has largely remained unchanged. He noted that the start of this season has been more comfortable compared to his rookie year, as he feels more established and confident with more results on his resume. However, Piastri stated that the nerves and preparation process have remained similar, with the main difference being his previous experience at many of the racing circuits in an F1 car. He believes that his approach naturally evolves with additional experience, but the core elements have not changed significantly.
