Oscar Piastri admits qualifying improvements are key as he prepares to enhance his 2025 title bid with McLaren F1.
Piastri has admitted that improving his qualifying performance, particularly in executing fast laps, will be crucial for his chances of fighting for the Formula 1 title in 2025.
Piastri delivered a promising second season in F1, securing eight podiums, including two victories, which helped McLaren claim the Constructors’ Championship for the first time since 1998.
However, Piastri trailed teammate Lando Norris by 82 points, with Norris falling short against Max Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship. Unable to match Norris, Piastri faced team orders at one stage.
With McLaren poised to enter 2025 as the team to beat, Piastri will be eager to avoid finding himself in a position where he must support Norris.
The Australian acknowledged that overcoming the stark 20-4 qualifying deficit against Norris in 2024 will be critical for his prospects next season.
“Starting 2025 strong will be important. This season, I feel I’ve made good progress. There’s still room for improvement. I think, you know, the biggest issue has been leaving some positions on the table in qualifying.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever really made life easy for myself in the races in that respect. It’s definitely the main focus for the offseason—just trying to find those last few hundredths, those last tenths.”
“Because I feel that in every other area, I’ve been able to show what I’m capable of. And I’ve also shown improvement over my rookie season in race pace and tire management.”
“Once again, I feel it’s now about putting everything together. The margins are now very, very small, if not nonexistent. It’s just about being able to put it all together, and if I can do that, I think I’ll be on the right track.”
Norris was in a similar position to Piastri 12 months ago, lamenting missed opportunities due to errors in qualifying. However, he kept his promise to address this weakness, achieving eight pole positions in 24 races, matching Max Verstappen.
When asked if he had a clear idea of what to improve over the winter, Piastri responded: “I think I do.”
“What’s important for me is that I haven’t struggled much to understand where time has been lost on occasion. After qualifying in Abu Dhabi, I almost immediately knew what went wrong.”
“And again, it’s not about needing to find an extra step. It’s simply about being at the top of my game every time. Because when I’ve managed that, I feel I’ve been good enough.”
“That doesn’t mean there isn’t room to go further. But what’s encouraging is that the potential was there.”
“The next step is to unlock that potential and deliver it consistently every weekend. And if I can do that, I think we’ll have a fun season.”
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McLaren’s Piastri Eyes Qualifying Boost to Challenge McLaren’s Piastri Eyes Qualifying Boost to Challenge
