Oscar Piastri aims to improve his qualifying performance in 2025
The Australian had a convincing 2024 season. However, he admitted to having encountered certain difficulties, particularly in qualifying. It's a concern he intends to address next year, in order to get even closer to his team-mate Lando Norris.
A year of confirmation for Oscar Piastri. The Australian driver, ninth in the championship during his first F1 season in 2023, confirmed the hopes placed in him this season with a fourth position in the standings, but especially by securing his first two victories in the category during the Hungarian and Baku races. Convincing performances that allowed McLaren to clinch the constructors’ title for the first time in 26 years. While the former Alpine protégé says he is satisfied with his 2024 season, he acknowledged the need to improve on certain aspects to be capable of competing for the drivers’ title throughout an entire season.
Insufficient results in qualifications
Among the areas he needs to work on, the Australian admits that his lack of pace in qualifying has been a drawback. In 24 qualifying sessions, the former Formula 2 champion only outqualified his teammate in three of them (in Jeddah, Monaco, and Azerbaijan) and was also outperformed in sprint qualifying. An unflattering statistic for the Australian, particularly compared to 2023 when he managed to outqualify Norris on seven occasions on Saturdays. Asked by the media, including Autosport, about this aspect, Piastri explained that he wants to address his weaknesses during the winter, particularly his speed on a fast lap. This season, I feel that I have made good progress, but there is still room for improvement.
« The biggest area for improvement is having let too many positions slip away in qualifying. I’ve never really made things easier for myself in races because of that. So that’s the major focus in the off-season: trying to find those last few hundredths, those last few tenths. » The Australian has only achieved one top 5 in qualifying during the last five races. These results have subsequently affected his races on Sundays. While Lando Norris has secured eight pole positions, he is still searching for his first.
A driver who is nevertheless becoming more and more well-rounded.
Despite everything, the former Prema driver is convinced he can compete at the front for an entire season if he manages to improve on this point. « I feel that in all other areas, I have been able to show what I am capable of and also demonstrate that I have improved. »
« Now, all that remains is to put everything together, as the gaps are very small today, if not nonexistent. If I manage to do that, then I will be on the right track. » The Australian driver is all the more confident because he knows how to improve his weak points. « The most important thing for me is that there haven’t been many moments where I’ve struggled to understand where the time slipped away. After the qualifying in Abu Dhabi [where he was two-tenths behind Norris, the poleman], I almost immediately knew where I had made mistakes. »
« I feel that when I’m at the top, I’m performing well enough. This doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement, but the encouraging point is that the potential is there. The next step is to realize this potential every weekend. If I succeed, then we’re going to have a fun season. »
In 2025, the cards will all be reshuffled. While McLaren appears to be the team to beat, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull are not far behind. For Piastri, convincing performances will be needed both in races and in qualifying to hope to bring a new title to Woking.
