Piastri Thrilled with First F1 Pole in Shanghai; Norris Reflects on Mistakes
Oscar Piastri secured his first Formula 1 pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix, despite earlier difficulties in the session. His teammate, Lando Norris, will start from P3 after citing his own mistakes in qualifying. Piastri’s pole time set a new record for the Shanghai International Circuit, and both drivers are looking forward to applying their learnings in the upcoming race.
Oscar Piastri expressed immense enthusiasm for achieving his first Formula 1 pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix, acknowledging his earlier struggles during the session. His McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, will commence the race from P3, attributing his positioning to mistakes he made during his final qualifying lap.
In Saturday’s Sprint, Piastri showcased competitive pace by finishing second behind Lewis Hamilton. He continued this momentum into Qualifying, where he secured provisional pole in Q3 and ultimately confirmed his position with the best time before the conclusion of the session.
Upon stepping out of the car, Piastri humorously remarked on his performance, stating, “I’m glad it looked like that because it didn’t feel like that!” He admitted to feeling challenged in Q1 and Q2 but found his rhythm in Q3, concluding with optimism about his remarkable achievement: “I’m just pumped to be on pole.”
His fastest lap of 1m 30.641s set a new record for the Shanghai International Circuit. Piastri reflected on driving on the resurfaced track, stating, “It’s a lot of fun… when you hook it up it feels pretty mega. I’ll take the fastest lap of Shanghai.”
Looking ahead to race day, Piastri is eager to apply the insights gained from the Sprint: “Having clean air at the start is hopefully going to be a help… I feel like we learned a lot this morning and I’m looking forward to trying to put that to use tomorrow.”
Conversely, Norris encountered mixed results on Saturday, finishing eighth in the Sprint before aborting his final lap in Qualifying, which prevented him from improving his time. He complimented Piastri’s performance, affirming, “Oscar deserved it today. He’s done a very good job all weekend.”
While acknowledging his own errors, Norris noted improvements in the car’s performance leading into Qualifying. He assessed the car’s handling as positive, though retaining some challenges, stating, “It can just be a little bit feisty at times,” and hinted that adjustments were made after the Sprint to enhance performance for the race.
In summary, Oscar Piastri’s first F1 pole position in Shanghai underscores his emerging talent, paired with a strong performance despite early session challenges. Lando Norris, while disappointed in his performance, demonstrated maturity in acknowledging his mistakes, indicating a positive outlook for race day. Both drivers exemplified their commitment to leveraging lessons learned as they prepare for the Grand Prix.
Original Source: www.formula1.com
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