For the McLaren drivers, it’s a question of hope and regret
Sprint qualifying provided a mixed picture for McLaren. Oscar Piastri confirmed the car's potential with a third-place finish, while a slight error by Lando Norris compromised his session, relegating him further down the grid.
The qualifying session started off quite well for both McLaren drivers. In Q3, Norris made a small mistake on the last corner which proved costly in the standings. Oscar Piastri, on the other hand, finished in 3rd place.
Oscar Piastri delivered a solid performance, securing third place and confirming McLaren’s good pace. During SQ1 and SQ2, we felt pretty good, but in SQ3, we wanted to test some things, and I don’t think it was the best decision, he said, noting that the car still had strong pace and he was confident about fighting from 3rd place.
The Australian driver also emphasized the progress made by McLaren in adapting to this demanding track. I also think we did a good job trying to tame this circuit, and it was much better than last season.
Tomorrow, Piastri will need performance and perhaps luck to try to catch up with Hamilton. In any case, there will be a great battle at the front.
For Lando Norris, the day was more complicated. A small mistake in the last corner in SQ3 cost him dearly, preventing him from claiming the top positions. Norris admits they struggled a bit today and that the car is still very difficult to drive.
The British driver compared his day to those in Bahrain during testing: « This circuit is more like Bahrain, but much windier. And the more wind there is, the more we struggle. »
Norris looks ahead and he will have to put in more effort: (to) push a little harder to try to compensate (for it), he states.
Tomorrow’s sprint race promises to be thrilling for McLaren. Piastri will be eager to confirm his potential and fight for the win, while Norris, having learned from his mistakes, will need to overcome the difficulties faced in qualifying to climb up the rankings.
