Oscar Piastri Admits He Hasn’t Reached Lando Norris’ Level in Qualifying

Oscar Piastri Admits He Hasn’t Reached Lando Norris’ Level in Qualifying

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.”

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.”

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.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
Lando Norris McLaren Oscar Piastri Singapore GP

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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