Oscar Piastri was about 1.5 tenths away from his first pole in Monaco. He was able to leave his teammate Lando Norris behind. After Imola, it is the second weekend in a row that the Australian has qualified in second place. In Monaco, however, he will not be relegated, but will actually be allowed to start from second place. His final qualifying lap was still not perfect. However, victory on Sunday is possible.
Oscar Piastri: Would pole have been possible with a perfect lap?
McLaren seems to be the second force in Monaco. Only this time not behind Red Bull, but behind Ferrari. Charles Leclerc seemed to be out of reach the whole time, especially on one lap. “We had a few problems throughout the weekend. We didn’t really know where we stood. I think there are a few corners in Q3 that I would like to drive again,” said Oscar Piastri after qualifying.
Piastri can also pinpoint exactly where he lost time on his last attempt. “I think turn five and turn 10 weren’t my best moments. I don’t know if it would have been enough for pole,” said Piastri. “I also touched the wall pretty hard in Q2, which gave me a bit of a scare. But apart from that, it was a good qualifying, I’m happy to start on the front row.”
Especially in Monaco, the first row on the grid is usually a prerequisite for victory. There are hardly any overtaking opportunities – and there can’t be too much of a gap to the front for an undercut. Apart from the strategy, Piastri’s only option is to overtake Leclerc at the start. “Turn one is your best chance on any track.”
Piastri: Race in Monaco is won or lost in the pits
However, the route to the first corner in Monaco is the shortest on the entire calendar. If a surprise attack doesn’t work there, the only option is strategy. “If there isn’t a massive difference in pace, and I’m pretty sure there won’t be, then overtaking is impossible. So you can try something with strategy,” said Piastri.
In 2022, Charles Leclerc already lost the chance to win in Monaco in the pits. “The race is lost or won in the pits. We have to make sure we have a good day tomorrow,” said Piastri.
For Piastri, tomorrow’s victory would be the first of his Formula 1 career. Last year, as a rookie, he was able to win the sprint race in Qatar. “We went into the race expecting to be able to fight for pole and victory.” So if Piastri is not plagued by bad luck like he was in the race in Miami, anything is possible for him in the race.