Piastri Reflects on Frustrating yet Rewarding Suzuka Finish

Oscar Piastri stood on the Suzuka podium on his birthday, but the third-place finish may not have felt like the sweet victory he had hoped for.

On that day, Piastri had the chance to become the third driver to win on his birthday, but instead, he joined a list of seven drivers who have managed a podium finish on their special day, including names like Chris Amon, Carlos Pace, James Hunt (who won), Carlos Reutemann, Jean Alesi (who also won), and Rubens Barrichello.

Did the Australian have the pace to go for the win in Japan? Or at least to overtake his teammate, especially as he repeatedly closed in on Lando Norris without ever attempting a pass?

“The result isn’t exactly what I wanted, but in terms of my pace and how I approached it, it’s what I was aiming for. So, I think Saturday was the day that really shaped the weekend overall, and I didn’t get the most out of the car. Unfortunately, that had a big influence on what I could do yesterday, and that led to the result I got.”

Was there any chance of overtaking Norris in the final laps?

“Honestly, it was too difficult. The straight would’ve needed to be another 100 meters longer, and maybe I would’ve had a small chance. I got close a few times, but never close enough to do anything realistic. I felt like I had good pace, but not enough to make a move. And with dirty air, once you’re that close, it’s really hard to stay there. So, yeah, the chances of trying something were really low, in reality.”

This year, qualifying seems even more crucial than last season: Is it a result of the regulations maturing, according to the McLaren driver?

“I’m not sure if it’s necessarily more important than last year, qualifying. It’s always been important. In a race like the one we had yesterday, with minimal tire degradation, a simple one-stop strategy, and high pace from start to finish, it becomes very difficult to gain an advantage via tire management.”

“At Suzuka, traditionally, that’s how you try to overtake. But this weekend, that wasn’t the case. I think it depends on the circuit. For example, it might not be the same in Bahrain. But qualifying has always been crucial. It’s not rocket science: starting from pole makes everything much easier. That’s the main takeaway from this weekend.”

Piastri Accepts McLaren F1’s Conservative Strategy

While Lando Norris publicly questioned McLaren F1’s strategy, did Piastri feel that the team should’ve taken more risks?

“As for the timing of the pit stop, I believe Russell had stopped a lap earlier, and Leclerc wasn’t far behind. We weren’t sure how strong the undercut would be. We had already started our stint on the Mediums, so from my side, nothing seemed to be a real issue.”

Piastri also radioed in that he might have had the pace to chase down Max Verstappen, but McLaren F1 chose not to swap positions between the two drivers.

Does Piastri regret it?

“I just said how I felt. Clearly, the team was happy with the situation as it was. And if I were in Lando’s position, I probably would’ve been content too. So, I just expressed how I felt from the car. And that’s how we want to race.”

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McLaren’s Strategy: Piastri Talks Pit Stops and Team Orders
McLaren’s Strategy: Piastri Talks Pit Stops and Team Orders