Oscar Piastri expresses general satisfaction with the progress of his first half of the season. The Australian believes he’s driving much stronger than a year ago, despite minor issues often occurring at McLaren. Piastri also experienced a pivotal moment in Belgium.
Piastri started the race at Spa-Francorchamps in fifth place, eventually crossing the finish line in third. The Australian was promoted to P2 after the race, following George Russell’s disqualification. According to Piastri, there was only one moment that significantly influenced the outcome of his race.
“I think it wasn’t easy to overtake Charles (Leclerc),” Piastri shares during the press conference. “If I hadn’t managed it in that round, I would probably have been stuck there for a long time. So that was a crucial moment in the race.” The Australian drove a “very strong race”, thanks to the good pace of the MCL38. “I felt very good this weekend. Even on Friday, the pace looked very strong. I was disappointed that I didn’t do the qualification well.”
Minor Issues Still Occurring at McLaren
The man from Melbourne also reflects on the first half of the season, and is generally satisfied with his own good progress. “A few weekends in the middle of the year were a bit tricky. Especially Japan and China and of course Barcelona, but I feel that all the other races were very strong,” Piastri quickly summarizes. “We just had a lot of things that didn’t go exactly our way. Whether it’s interesting penalties, crashes or mistakes, there were always those things.”
During the Grand Prix in Belgium, there was another interesting moment for Piastri during the second pit stop. The Australian shot a little past the box and hit the front jack man. “I think this is the second or third time this year that we try to drive over the front jack. So I will try not to do that next time,” Piastri concluded with a joke.
