Oscar Piastri misses out on Australian GP pole for 84 thousandths: “I’m satisfied with my lap”. Oscar Piastri will start from second place in the Australian GP.

Lost derby
In the end, the fight for pole position at the Australian GP really turned into a derby between the McLarens. The MCL39 confirmed itself as the best car on the grid at the moment, and Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were able to compete head-to-head for the first starting spot, distancing all the rivals significantly, especially in the third and final sector. Between them, there was a gap of 84 thousandths at the end of Q3, in favor of the Englishman.

Oscar Piastri certainly dreamed of giving his home crowd a special pole position, but once he got out of his car, the local hero didn’t show any regret. Interviewed by Sky Sport F1, the #81 McLaren driver said he was satisfied with his final lap, not attributing any significant driving errors to justify the small gap to his garage mate.

No regret
“Did something go wrong in Q3? Not that much, I think. The first lap of Q3 was a bit messy,” Oscar Piastri admitted, “but I think it was like that for everyone. The last lap, though, I’m quite happy with: I don’t think I left too much on the table. I can’t be too hard on myself for any major mistakes. I’m quite satisfied with the job I did, and obviously with McLaren. I’m pretty happy.”