Piastri eyes continued success at Imola

Gearing up for what he jokes is yet “another home race”, Oscar Piastri arrives in Imola fuelled not just by his record-breaking victory at the Miami Grand Prix, but by the belief that consistent success now stems from “an incredibly quick car” and a driver in control.

Having had a week to reset after claiming his third consecutive victory at the Miami Grand Prix, the feeling of success is well and truly lingering for the sole Australian representative on the grid. 

Piastri now holds more Grand Prix victories than his more experienced teammate, having worked to increase his Drivers’ Championship leading margin to 16 points after battling his way past Max Verstappen in the 305. 

“I mean, it’s pretty hard to say that I’m not [enjoying myself],” Piastri said. 

“When you’ve won four out of six, it’s been a great start. 

“I’ve been enjoying the success we’ve been having on track, but for me, what’s been very satisfying is all the work we’ve done behind the scenes to achieve that. 

“It’s quite a different feeling when you win a race because you feel like you’ve just gotten by or had good circumstances. 

“But to now be winning because we have an incredibly quick car and I feel like I’m driving well, that’s very satisfying. 

“Of course, I’ve been enjoying standing on the podium as well, but more so the hard work behind the success.”

Citing the hot conditions in Miami, Piastri admitted that the Miami International Autodrome was a circuit the team were looking forward to from “pretty early on” in the season, with a 1-2 finish in both the Sprint and Grand Prix proving their theory correct. 

The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari poses a different challenge, however, calling for higher speeds and more caution on its characteristically bumpy tarmac and aggressive kerbs. 

Gearing up for the conventional format at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, the 37-second margin the #81 had over the first non-McLaren competitor may not be on the cards, however, that doesn’t mean the Australian is any less confident in continuing his run to the top step.

“I’m not expecting that to be the case every weekend,” Piastri said. 

“I would love that to be the case, but in those hotter conditions and that circuit characteristic, it worked well for us. 

“I think it’ll be difficult to repeat that consistently.”

On replicating that margin in Imola, the Australian added: “We’ve got very soft tyres this weekend, so maybe that will help us, but it’s a lot cooler than it was in Miami.” 

“The track is also incredibly different – much bumpier, much higher speeds in general. 

“I expect the competition to be closer than it was in Miami. 

“We saw in Qualifying that the competition was on our heels and ahead of us. 

“So we still have to make sure we go out and execute everything as well as we can, because if we fall through a little bit, then we’ve got plenty of competition that can beat us.”

Experience isn’t on Piastri’s side in Imola, however, with the #81 having raced at the iconic circuit just once in his relatively short career as heavy rainfall and severe floods devastated the region in 2023.

The Australian finished the 2024 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in fourth place, seven seconds shy of Charles Leclerc’s bronze — one week before his standout performance at the Monaco Grand Prix earned the #81 a place on the iconic Monte Carlo podium. 

With the McLaren teammates running neck and neck in the WDC this season, Piastri will be — at least — striving for a podium finish on Sunday, hoping to add a further 25 points to his 131-strong total before moving onto the legendary Monaco challenge.

“Obviously you want to have the edge [over your teammate] at the end of the season — that’s where it’s most important,” Piastri said.

“For me, at the moment, the results have been a good confidence boost for myself, so that’s always important. 

“If we have competition outside McLaren, there are benefits to being first — like with pit stops and strategy. 

“If you’re ahead in anything, there are always advantages, but in terms of the mentality and feeling in the team, we’re still trying as hard as we can to beat all the other teams — and also each other. 

“I think that’s going to remain the same for the rest of the year.”

After Miami, Lando Norris found himself sitting with 115 points to his name, bringing McLaren’s untouchable Constructors’ Championship total to 246 points, over 100 points clear of its closest rival, Mercedes.

The weekend returns to a conventional format after an action-packed Sprint weekend in the United States, with the first of three practice sessions kicking off tonight at 21:30 AEST.

Image: Formula 1

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