Oscar Piastri could theoretically clinch his first world title in Abu Dhabi, but he is concerned ahead of the decisive race. According to the Australian, his long runs during this Grand Prix weekend were ‘not spectacular’. Starting in third place, behind title rivals Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, Piastri is already at a disadvantage: ‘Something definitely needs to happen in the race if I want to win the championship.’
Oscar Piastri will start the Abu Dhabi GP from the second row, just behind teammate and title rival Lando Norris. The Australian still has a theoretical chance of winning his first world title at the Yas Marina Circuit, but with Max Verstappen holding the pole position and Norris leading the championship, he is not the clear favorite. Moreover, Piastri is worried about the pace of his MCL39 during the long runs.”
“I haven’t done many long runs, only in the second free practice of course, but it looked okay, although it wasn’t spectacular,” Piastri tells the media in Abu Dhabi. “I would have liked the long runs to have gone a bit better, but we are here now and we will see how the conditions and the track develop. From my position, something needs to happen in the race to win the championship. So I’m waiting to see if that happens.”
Respect
Piastri will only win the championship if he crosses the finish line first at the Yas Marina Circuit and Norris finishes no higher than sixth. His McLaren teammate, on the other hand, only needs to finish on the podium to secure his first title.
“One of us could win our first F1 championship – that’s naturally something to celebrate,” Piastri says, indicating that he won’t dampen Norris’s joy should the Brit clinch the title. “I think we have enough respect for each other to appreciate the work of the one who loses tomorrow, and there will be nothing but respect regardless. Moreover, it would be unfair to expect the one who has won not to celebrate, regardless of who is on the losing side.”
