Oscar piastri qualified fifth for the Chinese Grand Prix as McLaren finished P5 and P6 in Qualifying, a performance the Australian described as “about where we belong” and that left the team chasing Mercedes and Ferrari on pace.
McLaren Locked Into P5 and P6 In Qualifying
McLaren could not match the pace of Mercedes and Ferrari in Qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris taking P5 and P6 on the grid respectively. The result followed the squad’s P4 and P6 placings for Norris and piastri respectively in the Sprint, delivering a similar level of performance across both sessions.
Piastri: Firm That Fifth Was Close To The Limit
The Australian answered that his fifth place felt close to the maximum on the day. He said his final lap “was not the greatest” and suggested there may have been “potentially a bit more in it, ” but added that it was “very difficult to get everything out of the car today. “
Piastri said he was “reasonably happy” with fifth and felt that in Q3 the team “maybe got a little bit closer, ” while acknowledging that “we’ve still got some work to do. ” Looking ahead to the Grand Prix, he highlighted the importance of a strong start and tyre behaviour, saying the tyres were a “pretty big factor in the Sprint” and that car pace will be crucial on Sunday.
Norris Accepts They Are ‘A Step Behind’ And Sees Opportunity At The Start
Norris echoed the assessment of his teammate while reflecting on his own qualifying laps. He described both Q3 runs as “pretty similar, ” admitting he made a “big mistake” in the final corner on his first lap that cost him “maybe a tenth, ” an amount he suggested could be the difference of a position given how close the Ferraris were.
He said he believed there might have been “another tenth and a half” to find but concluded “we’re probably where we deserve to be. ” Norris acknowledged the challenge ahead, calling it “tough because you think, could we have got another tenth and a half out of it or something?” and noting that the Ferraris were quicker and will be hard to race against.
On race strategy and potential for the team to challenge, Norris said there is uncertainty around the start — “it could be amazing, it could not be good” — and added that many of their starts have been strong recently. He suggested that pressing those ahead and hoping for mistakes will be part of McLaren’s approach, but conceded plainly: “it’s clear that we’re a step behind, and therefore racing that kind of car is always going to be tricky. “
McLaren heads into Sunday’s Grand Prix with Piastri and Norris in the middle of the top six, aiming to convert qualifying position and start performance into upward movement on race day while addressing the pace deficit highlighted in China Qualifying.
