Italian GP – Oscar Piastri secures third at Monza despite McLaren pit stop drama: “Given what happened, it’s okay”. Oscar Piastri finished third at the Italian GP in Monza.

F1 | Oscar Piastri finished third at the Italian GP in Monza

Oscar Piastri secured a podium finish at the Italian Grand Prix, coming in third behind Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. While the Australian was satisfied with his overall performance, he admitted he would have liked a bit more from the car to challenge for second place after ceding the position to his teammate.

The race started with some challenges, particularly at the first corner, but once Piastri overtook Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, he enjoyed a relatively smooth run to the finish. Looking ahead, he aims to improve in the next Grand Prix and close the gap to his teammate in the championship standings.

Piastri reflects on his Monza race

During the opening laps at Monza, Oscar Piastri had to battle Charles Leclerc for the third position. After a couple of exchanges between the two drivers, the Australian managed to emerge ahead.

Oscar Piastri explained that the start was difficult and that his first two to three laps were not his best. He noted that the car’s performance was not exactly as he would have liked, but once the tyres warmed up, he felt more comfortable. Overall, he was happy with the points and accepted the result.

McLaren opted for a slightly unconventional strategy by staying out longer and switching to soft tyres instead of the usual medium-to-hard change. The plan went smoothly until Lando Norris’s pit stop ran into trouble. A problem with the wheel gun on the front-left tyre caused a significant delay, leaving Lando Norris behind Oscar Piastri once he rejoined the track. Since the delay was a team error rather than a driver mistake, Piastri allowed Norris to pass so the teammates could compete for positions afterward.

“We stayed out long enough that the soft tyre seemed like a good option at the time. We were hoping for a safety car, but by the end, Max [Verstappen] had already covered the window, so it didn’t make sense to remain out. Given everything that happened, it’s okay,” Piastri reflected.

Remaining confident despite the result

Even with this third-place finish, Oscar Piastri remains ahead of his teammate in the Drivers’ Championship. He admitted that while he would have preferred slightly stronger performance from the car, the weekend provided valuable learning experiences.

“It was still a good weekend overall. I would have liked the car to perform a bit better, but we have learned a lot from this race,” Piastri said. “I’m happy with the points, and we’ll aim to be stronger next weekend.”