Oscar Piastri refutes claims of prioritizing race pace over qualifying, as he targets improved Saturdays for stronger Grand Prix results.
Oscar Piastri has denied sacrificing his qualifying pace to improve his race performance during the 2024 season.
Race pace was a key weakness for Piastri during his rookie year with McLaren last season, where he often struggled to match the speed displayed by teammate Lando Norris.
Norris continues to have the upper hand this year, but Piastri has shown significant growth, demonstrating strong pace at several events — including his two victories in Hungary and Azerbaijan.
However, Piastri has notably lacked speed in qualifying this year and trails the Briton 18-3.
“In the races, it’s definitely a big improvement compared to last year, which is great,” he said.
“But the improvements in this area haven’t really come at the expense of the qualifying approach.”
“There have been a few tough sessions, but even going back to the start of the year, my qualifying was very strong for quite a while.”
Piastri admits improving his qualifying performance remains his main focus, as better results on Saturday lead to more successful Grands Prix.
“That’s definitely the goal at the moment because it would make my weekends much easier, starting a bit higher up.”
“But it’s not like I’ve gained in the races and sacrificed qualifying. In theory, I should be able to be strong in both.”
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Piastri Strives for Balance Amid Norris Qualifying Lead Piastri Strives for Balance Amid Norris Qualifying Lead
