Oscar Piastri can look back with satisfaction on his second Formula 1 season. In the highly competitive MCL38 from McLaren, he won his first two Grand Prix. Interestingly, his first pole position is still pending. In the run-up to 2025, he wants to improve his speed in the qualifiers. If McLaren is competitive again, he wants to make a bid for the title.
“This season, I feel like I’ve made good strides forward,” Oscar Piastri said after the Abu Dhabi GP to Autosport. “But there’s still plenty of room for improvement.” The 23-year-old driver from Melbourne finished in fourth place among the drivers, but helped McLaren to its first constructor’s title since 1998. He was most critical of his qualifying style – while teammate Lando Norris started from the first spot eight times, Piastri never got further than the second time.
‘Bringing Everything Together’
“The biggest pain point is that I’ve left a few too many positions in the qualifiers,” said Oscar Piastri. “I don’t think I’ve ever made it easy for myself in the races, in that respect. So that’s where the focus is this winter; trying to make up those last hundredths and tenths. I feel like I’ve been able to show what I’m capable of in all other areas and that I’ve improved. So now it’s a matter of bringing everything together. The margins are small, so if I do everything right, it promises a lot of good.”When asked if he has confidence that he can make the next step, Oscar Piastri responded: “I think so. The most important thing for me is that I often immediately understood where I lost time. Even after the qualification in Abu Dhabi, I almost immediately knew where it went wrong.” The Australian finished at Yas Marina two tenths behind polesitter Lando Norris. “So it’s not so much about finding that extra speed, but more about making sure you’re always at the top of your game. If I manage that, we’re in for an exciting season.”
