Oscar Piastri: “The pace was enormous'”
Oscar Piastri put in a very solid performance on the legendary Suzuka circuit at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, finishing third.
Qualified in third position during the qualifications, the Australian McLaren driver managed to maintain his rank throughout the race, benefiting from a good start and an error-free strategy from his team.
Faced with an untouchable Max Verstappen in the lead and a well-paced Lando Norris, the Australian did not have the opportunity to join the fight for victory, but he defended his position effectively against pressure from behind. His consistency on long stints and good tire management allowed him to secure this important podium.
With this third place, Oscar Piastri continues to establish himself as a major player in the 2025 season. He is now positioned third in the overall standings, just behind his teammate and Max Verstappen, confirming McLaren’s strong start to the season and his own rising level of performance.
An effective strategy
McLaren opted for a classic but effective strategy for Oscar Piastri at Suzuka: two stops, with a medium-medium-hard sequence. The initial choice of the medium tire allowed him to remain competitive at the start of the race, while retaining the flexibility to lengthen the first stint if necessary. Thanks to a clean start and good pace, he was able to comfortably stay in third position, safe from the undercut attempts of his pursuers.
The first stop was perfectly executed, with McLaren calling him in just before traffic became an issue. This allowed him to maintain his position on the track. On his second stint, also on medium tires, he kept a steady pace, avoiding unnecessary risks against Norris ahead of him, but leaving enough margin to respond to any threat from behind.
For the final relay, the engineers opted for hard tires to ensure a calm race finish without excessive degradation. This choice paid off: Piastri was able to hold off pressure from behind (notably from Carlos Sainz) while securing his third podium of the season.
« The pace today was really, really good. I’m happy about that, but track position is so important here. I think yesterday was where the race was decided, and I didn’t do a good enough job », explains the McLaren driver.
« The pace was tremendous, I just need to make sure I’m in a better position to take advantage of it. »
