Oscar Piastri believes McLaren can now be fast anywhere

After Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, Oscar Piastri expressed his satisfaction despite a session that could have been better, according to him. With a second place on the grid, Piastri will start tomorrow just behind Charles Leclerc, thus sharing the front row with the local driver.

« I am overall very happy with my performance. We encountered some difficulties throughout the weekend, and we didn’t really know where we stood. After Free Practice 3, we had to work a bit, but the car behaved very well in qualifying », Piastri said in a press conference on Saturday.

The young Australian also admitted that he could have done better on certain key turns of the Monaco track. On the final lap of Q3, I made some mistakes in certain turns that I would have liked to correct. But when you push so hard, it is inevitable to make some mistakes here and there, he added.

However, Piastri remains confident about his chances for tomorrow’s race. Overall, the qualifying session in Monaco went rather well for us. I had a slight scare when I hit the wall during Q2, but other than that, everything went smoothly. I am happy to be on the front row and hope to stay there for the race, he emphasized.

This is his second consecutive P2 in as many weeks on very different race tracks, Imola and Monaco. Asked if this means that he and McLaren can now be fast everywhere, the Australian replied that he indeed thinks so. « I think we entered this weekend quite confidently that we could be in the fight for pole position and victory again. I think going into qualifying, maybe we weren’t as convinced this week, but no, it went well. Yeah, pretty well connected in qualifying », he explained.

A race that will be decided in the pit stops

Interrogated about the opportunities for the race, Piastri mentioned the importance of the start and strategy. The start towards Turn 1 is always crucial on any circuit. In Monaco, it is even more crucial given the short distance to the first corner. As for the strategy, it could make the difference because overtaking is almost impossible here. It is likely that the race will be decided during the pit stops. We must therefore make sure to have a good day, he explained.

Despite his satisfaction, the Australian also highlighted the importance of consistency and self-control. “For me, what matters most is to leave the weekend feeling like I’ve given my best. Even if I’m not obsessed with the final result, I want to be able to say that I gave it my all on the track,” he concluded.