After his sprint victory earlier on Saturday in Qatar, Oscar Piastri also secures the most coveted starting position for the main race a day later. The Australian outperformed his teammate Lando Norris in his last fast lap on the Lusail International Circuit, and therefore starts the GP Qatar from pole position. Although Piastri holds the best cards for the race, he expects the Grand Prix to be quite a challenge: ‘It will be hard work, but enormously fun’.
“We indeed kept it the same as in the sprint race, but with a few minor adjustments,” Piastri explains immediately after the qualification. “Everything has been feeling good all weekend. So if it’s not broken, it doesn’t need to be fixed. The only question was which tires we wanted to use exactly. But in the end, I am very happy with the pole position.”
Physical Challenge
The GP Qatar is known as one of the most challenging races on the calendar, especially in terms of physical demands. How challenging does Piastri think the Grand Prix will be this year? “It will probably be quite challenging,” the Australian anticipates the main event on Sunday. “Especially with the two-stopper, the number of laps you can do per tire set, it will be a tough race. However, I don’t think it will be as hot as a few years ago, so it won’t be as bad as then. But I do expect a challenging race; the G-forces are extremely heavy here. It will be hard work, but enormously fun.”
