Piastri’s P1 never in doubt: “I always felt pretty confident”

Oscar Piastri says he “always felt pretty confident that I could achieve” pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix, delivering a commanding performance to secure the fourth pole of his Formula 1 career, all in a bid to build on his three-point lead over Lando Norris in the championship fight.

It was a delayed start for the Australian who emerged from the pitlane traffic jam with just over ten minutes left in Q1 to begin his first flying lap of the session. 

Speeding through his initial run, Piastri set the fastest middle sector to finish two and a half tenths clear of his teammate, claiming the early benchmark in the process. 

With two minutes on the clock, the Australian geared up for a second and final attempt, however, he deemed it unnecessary as he retreated to the pitlane with his fastest time — a 1:12.551s which saw him ease through to Q2.

“I think it had been a good run through practice,” Piastri said, reflecting on the build-up to Qualifying. 

“FP2 felt strong, this morning, FP3 I felt pretty strong, so I was pretty confident that was on the cards in quali. 

“I obviously knew that Lando was going to be quick, but I also thought that the others would get in the mix as well. 

“So yeah, it was nice that we had a bit of a gap as a team. 

“I always felt pretty confident that I could achieve this today, so glad that we pulled it off.”

Waiting in the pitlane to start the second stage of Qualifying, McLaren finally unleashed its championship-leading driver with ten minutes on the clock. 

Piastri wasted no time setting the fastest opening sector before crossing the line with a 1:11.998s — the best time of Q2 — securing his spot in the top ten shootout again without needing a second attempt, sending a clear message that he was the man to beat.

Q3 began with Piastri first out of the pitlane, tyres fresh and intentions clear. 

His MCL39 was flawless on his initial flying lap, as he put in a string of purple sectors that left rivals chasing shadows. 

His provisional pole time of 1:11.836s was untouchable until Norris, taking advantage of a “cheeky” tow from the #81 car, managed to outpace it by just 0.017 seconds due to a blistering Sector 1… but Piastri still had one lap left in the tank. 

With three minutes remaining, the Australian unleashed a near-perfect lap, lighting up the timing screens with purple sectors across the board.

Piastri crossed the line with a flying time of 1:11.546s, reclaiming pole by the largest margin of the season, two-tenths clear of Norris in a display that left no doubt about McLaren’s pace advantage.

“It was pretty good,” Piastri said. 

“I think Sector 1 in particular felt quite strong and halfway through Sector 2. 

“The back end of the lap was a little bit trickier, and I’d actually lost a little bit of time. 

“But I think here, if you use up your tyres in the first half of the lap, the second half becomes very tough. 

“So clearly, it was good enough, which is a great thing, obviously. 

“The car’s been feeling really good today and I’ve been able to put in consistent laps, which has been nice and a bit of a contrast to yesterday. 

“So, it’s been a good day.”

His stunning achievement in Barcelona marked Piastri’s fourth career pole and McLaren’s first front-row lockout in Barcelona since 1998, with the championship stakes intensifying as he and Norris enter Sunday split by just three points.

The 24-year-old’s confident closing words over team radio, “Let’s have ourselves some fun tomorrow,” underlined his readiness to translate qualifying pace into race day success as championship implications loom large on Sunday for the duo separated by just three points. 

As the 66-lap race approaches, the spotlight will remain firmly fixed on the McLaren duo leading the pack. 

“It’s going to be an interesting one tomorrow and I’m pretty glad that I’m starting from pole,” Piastri said. 

“It’s obviously a long run to Turn 1, so I’ve got to make sure we try and get a good start tomorrow. 

“But no, very proud of the work we’ve done today and starting in the best spot. 

“So, I can’t thank the team enough, and hopefully we can have some fun tomorrow.”

With the front row locked in and the championship battle tightening, expect a tough contest at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya where every millimetre on track could shape the fate of the 2025 season.

Lights out for the Spanish Grand Prix will take place at 23:00 AEST.

Image: Formula 1

2025 Spanish Grand Prix Schedule:

Friday, May 30:

FP1: 21:30 – 22:30

Saturday, May 31:

FP2: 01:00 – 02:00

FP3: 20:30 – 21:30

Sunday, June 01:

Quali: 00:00 – 01:00

Race: 23:00

Buy the new issue of Auto Action Premium HERE

Read the new issue of Auto Action Digital HERE

Don’t forget the print edition of Auto Action available via subscription here or you can purchase a copy of the latest issue from one of our outlets here. For more of the latest motorsport news, subscribe to AUTO ACTION magazine