Oscar Piastri recorded the third fastest time during the sprint qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix. The Australian was considered one of the favourites for pole position ahead of the session, thanks in part to his lightning-fast McLaren. However, the team seemed to make a strategic blunder in the final qualifying session, causing both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to miss out on the front row. The latter was visibly disappointed with the result.
“We were fast, but unfortunately at the wrong time,” Oscar Piastri sighed after the session. “SQ1 and SQ2 felt very good, but in the final session we wanted to try something different. We went out very early and tried to do two fast laps, but in hindsight that was not the best choice. We definitely need to look at that. The speed in the car was still very good, and I’m confident that I can compete from the third spot tomorrow.”
“The conditions were quite challenging today,” he continued. “The circuit offers a lot of grip in principle, but you’re constantly pushing the limit. That made it difficult to control the car all day. I still think we tamed the car quite well for this sprint qualifying, although our strategy may not have been ideal,” he laughed cautiously. “At least we have a lot more grip than last year, so that’s definitely an improvement. But there’s still plenty to optimize for the rest of the weekend.”
