Oscar Piastri will start tomorrow’s F1 Saudi Arabian GP from second on the grid after losing out to Max Verstappen in a dramatic finish to qualifying.
Briefly holding provisional pole at the F1 Saudi Arabian GP, Oscar Piastri was beaten by Max Verstappen by just one-hundredth of a second. An agonisingly slim margin, it denied the McLaren driver his third pole position of the season.
Reflecting on the result, Piastri remained composed and pragmatic, acknowledging both the challenge and opportunity ahead. Speaking in Parc Ferme, he praised his rival while acknowledging his own performance.
“To be honest, I was pretty happy with it. There wasn’t too much more left in that lap. So, I’m happy with the job I did.
“I was playing catch up a little bit through the first part of qualifying. And then, yeah, that last lap felt more or less like the best I could have done.
“So, I think Max has done a good job. I think it’s another high-speed circuit for them where they seem to be having a little bit more success. But, no, he’s done a good job again, obviously.
“So still a lot to play for tomorrow. I think our pace is good. It’s going to be a tough race, And the tyres are a bit softer than last year. So, we’ll see if that plays to our advantage. Talk to us about how difficult it is to extract in a lap round here.
A ‘tough track’ to nail for Oscar Piastri
With the narrowest of margins separating him from the top spot, Verstaappen has laid down a serious marker. A Verstappen-Piastri front row has delivered fireworks before, and with the championship lead up for grabs, tomorrow promises more of the same.
“It’s another high-speed circuit for them where they seem to be having a little bit more success. But, no, he’s done a good job again, obviously.“
“It’s tough around here. And once you kind of fall out of rhythm a little bit, it’s very hard to get back into it.
“You kind of need to get all the corners right because if you don’t get one right, it means you don’t get about six in a row right. So, it’s a difficult track for sure. But, you know, at night with soft tyres, high grip, it’s one of the best tracks we go to.
“So, a lot of adrenaline. I’m shaking a little bit just from driving around the streets. But, no, it’s a really cool circuit.”
