Although McLaren’s Oscar Piastri has emerged as the top performer of the 2025 F1 season so far, his Canadian GP weekend has proven far from straightforward. Throughout all three Free Practice sessions, the Australian driver struggled with pace and consistency. Nevertheless, Qualifying on Saturday evening brought a noticeable turnaround, as Piastri managed to secure third place on the grid.
Qualifying delivers relief after challenging Practice sessions
Speaking to the media following the session, Piastri expressed satisfaction with the outcome, given the difficult lead-up to Qualifying.
“Much better than Practice, that’s for sure,” he responded when asked to summarise the session. “I mean, honestly, I’m quite happy here in P3. After all the practice sessions, I was struggling, obviously. I did not have a smooth session this morning, and, yes, everything just felt more back to normal. In qualifying, everything came alive again.”
Indeed, despite his earlier setbacks, Piastri was able to recover and deliver a strong performance when it mattered most. His remarks clearly underscored both his personal resilience and the effectiveness of the team’s overnight adjustments.
A calculated and conservative approach to tyre strategy
When questioned about McLaren’s tyre choice in Qualifying at the 2025 F1 Canadian GP, Piastri addressed the ongoing debate regarding whether a switch to the medium compound could have delivered greater rewards. He acknowledged the risk involved in altering variables and explained that McLaren had chosen the safer, more predictable route.
“So, you know, there’ll always be the question—should we have gone for a Medium at the end? But I think with how we had been going in practice, having just a clean run on the same compound seemed like the best idea for us, and honestly, I think it worked well. So honestly, pretty happy.”
Although some competitors, including Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, opted for mediums and ultimately secured P1 and P2 respectively, Piastri remained confident in his team’s more conservative strategy.
No gamble on medium tyres
Piastri further explained that while switching compounds had been considered, it was not a compelling option for him given the car’s earlier struggles.
“I mean, we always kept it on the table, but I do not think we were ever that—or I certainly was not ever that tempted. Like I said, practice was pretty miserable. So, I just wanted to have a clean run through Qualifying, not introduce any variables that could have made things even more difficult. That is what we stuck to.”
He reiterated that taking unnecessary risks could have compromised their progress, and thus maintaining consistency and control had taken precedence over experimentation.
Confidence in McLaren’s strategic philosophy
Piastri praised the team’s approach to decision-making, highlighting that their consistent and individual strategy has been one of McLaren’s key strengths throughout the season.
“I think it has been a strength of ours so far this year—sticking to our guns and doing what we think is best for us. Would we have been on pole position on a Medium? Maybe. But there is also the risk that it goes wrong, and you end up worse than we are now. So, I am pretty happy.”
His response reflects both maturity and trust in McLaren’s racecraft, which has helped him remain at the forefront of the Drivers’ Championship battle in 2025.
A competitive but unpredictable battle ahead
When asked if he believed a victory on Sunday was within reach, especially given the strong performances from Russell and Verstappen, Piastri responded with cautious optimism.
“I think so. Again, Friday did not look great in any run, but I certainly feel more comfortable now than I did this morning and then yesterday. Our pace on race days is generally where we are strong. These two next to me were very quick in the race runs yesterday, so it is certainly not going to be a slam dunk win, but I think we are definitely in the fight.”
Final grid position and McLaren’s best hope
Piastri will begin Sunday’s Canadian GP from the second row of the grid, alongside Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in fourth position. With teammate Lando Norris set to start from P7, McLaren’s hopes for a podium will rest largely on Piastri’s shoulders. Given the unpredictable nature of the Montreal circuit and the team’s strategic confidence, all eyes will be on the young Australian as he aims to convert a tough weekend into a strong race result.
