Oscar Piastri at Suzuka without the ‘desperation’ for pole position: “Shanghai was a relief”. Oscar Piastri will race in Suzuka without the weight of aiming for his first-ever pole position.

Coming off a Chinese triumph
The Japanese Grand Prix will feature some new changes on track, including new lineups and special liveries, but it will also mark the first weekend after McLaren’s double win in the previous race in China. Shanghai concluded with Piastri’s first-ever pole position, followed by a victory in front of his teammate, Lando Norris.

Progress over the year
This papaya success highlighted the further progress McLaren has made, remaining undefeated in the first two races. Oscar Piastri is set to race in Suzuka, aware of the team’s developments: “In the last twelve months, we’ve made a lot of progress in our key areas,” he said. “The weekend in China in 2024 was quite tough, while this year it was really satisfying, probably my best weekend in F1. It was a great reward for the work we’ve put in. Our pre-season was tough in terms of analyzing what we could improve, and I’ve been happy with how the year has started so far.”

The Liam Lawson case
Oscar Piastri also commented on the most discussed issue in recent weeks: the Yuki Tsunoda – Liam Lawson swap: “I think two races aren’t enough to understand things,” he added. “I’ve raced against Liam a lot in the junior categories, and I don’t think those two races are representative of what he’s capable of. There’s pressure to perform right from the start, but I think it mostly comes from yourself. For me, I was lucky in a way to have a good second weekend; the first one was tough, but the second was already good, and that gives you so much confidence. Sometimes all you need is that one session or weekend where everything goes right, and then you gain a lot of confidence.”

The relief of the first pole
Finally, Suzuka’s qualifying will be the first for Oscar Piastri without the pressure of securing his first-ever pole: “The pole in China, to be honest, was more of a relief than anything else. It won’t make it easier to try for pole for the rest of the year, but there was starting to be a sort of desperation because I had been trying for so long. Getting the first one was a big relief, but of course, I want to try to get it every weekend. I think it simply confirms the approach we’ve taken, and we should continue to do the same.” – the Australian concluded.