In a tight qualifying session, Oscar Piastri just lost out to take P2 at the Belgian GP. The McLaren driver was disappointed with the position given the car’s potential.
The qualifying result was disappointing considering the Sprint Race earlier in the day. Despite starting on pole, he unfortunately lost the position to Verstappen, who overtook from second to win the race.
Speaking to media in Parc Ferme, Piastri shared his view on the P2 position. The McLaren driver expressed disappointment with not being able to put together the lap he needed.
“The second lap was coming together really well. Just made a little mistake into 14 and lost a lot of time. So, yeah, disappointed”. He continued, adding, that he “Felt like the car was very good again. But it’s fine margins out there. So, yeah, it’s obviously not a bad place to be starting. But I think there was more in it, which is always disappointing.”
Too good a teammate pairing
Piastri also shared his views on how Norris was able to come out on top today.
“I don’t know. I mean, I think we’re a good teammate pairing. We learn a lot from each other every weekend. And, yeah, that’s what makes us such a good team”. He, however, highlighted the difficulty of having two competent drivers on either side of the garage, saying, “But it also makes it difficult when you’re trying to fight each other.“
He remarked, adding, “So, yeah, I don’t know. I felt like I did an okay job today. I just didn’t quite execute when it mattered. And, yeah, a bit of a shame.”
A race full of possibilities
Finally, there remained the question of what would be possible for the race tomorrow. His chances in P2 were not particularly unfavourable, especially given the anticipation of weather to play a factor.
To this, Piastri responded, “Yeah, I mean, after the sprint, I was aiming for P2. So, no, I don’t know what the weather’s going to hold tomorrow”. He concluded, saying, “I think it’s going to be quite different. So, we’ll wait and see what we get. But, yeah, try and have a good race”.
Despite Piastri’s disappointment, there is a good probability for a challenge to claim P1 as we have seen in previous rounds. Moreover, the likelihood of changing weather conditions and the nature of the Spa circuit will certainly make for a captivating race tomorrow.
