After Oscar Piastri’s incredible win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last weekend, he has the same number of victories as his McLaren teammate Lando Norris [2]. Even though he matches Norris in most aspects during a Grand Prix weekend, he yet believes that qualifying is an area of concern for him.
However, he revealed he is aware of how he can improve on his one-lap pace. He stated that his lack of consistency is a factor that is resulting in him falling behind Norris when it comes to qualifying. Having said that, he does believe that his qualifying performance in Baku was significantly better compared to his previous race weekends.
Speaking to the media ahead of the 2024 Singapore GP weekend, Piastri explained, “I haven’t had many sessions bar Baku that I’ve been happy with my performance all the way from Q1 to Q3. The gap has always been small [to Norris], but I’ve been on the wrong side of it. I just need to be at that level more consistently.”
Oscar Piastri insists he is still ready to back Lando Norris’ #F1 drivers’ title bid despite his win last weekend, and the fact he is only 32 points behind his McLaren team-mate https://t.co/mDxud5lpIv pic.twitter.com/fqXTJHckZX
— Mirror F1 (@MirrorF1) September 19, 2024
Norris has been the faster McLaren driver over one lap in both sprint and normal qualifying this year. Out of the 20 times they’ve gone up against each other this season, Norris has prevailed with a record of 16-4.
Piastri receives a confidence boost after his win in Baku
Piastri’s level of consistency came in handy on the streets of Baku last weekend. Starting from the front of the grid gave him the perfect opportunity to stay close to pole-sitter Charles Leclerc.
Although Leclerc kept the lead even after the first stint, Piastri pulled off a stunning overtaking move on the Monegasque into the first corner. After taking the lead, he handled all the pressure from Leclerc and managed to keep him behind for the entirety of the remaining race.
Piastri’s victory at Baku is his second F1 win, having won his maiden race in Hungary earlier this year. While most F1 drivers consider their maiden wins as the most special, Piastri does not. He explained his reasoning ahead of the Singapore GP this weekend by stating, “I had to work so hard for the win.”
A natural winner everywhere he goes. Today, at last, he tastes victory in the pinnacle of motorsport
This is Oscar Piastri’s journey to the top step in Hungary #F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/w7JhEpWRRx
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 21, 2024
Since Piastri managed the incredibly difficult task of keeping Leclerc behind him for several laps, he is likely to have a lot more confidence heading into this weekend’s Singapore GP. However, Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit is likely to provide him with a much bigger challenge than the one he faced in Baku.
Unlike Baku, where there is a long straight to overtake, overtaking in Singapore is far more difficult. Therefore, Piastri will need to improve upon his qualifying to have the best grid position he can to have a good chance of winning this weekend’s race as well.
