Oscar Piastri expressed contentment with his third-place starting position for the Canadian Grand Prix, despite a challenging weekend for McLaren in Montreal. After dominating the season thus far, the team faced difficulties during practice, with Piastri himself feeling “miserable” and even making contact with the wall in the final session. Lando Norris had a slightly better experience, topping the last practice but qualifying seventh.
“I was struggling after practice sessions, but qualifying felt more normal,” said Piastri. He focused on maintaining a clean and steady approach during qualifying to avoid complicating the situation further. This method has proven to be effective for the team throughout the season.
George Russell unexpectedly secured pole position ahead of Max Verstappen and Piastri. With Piastri leading Lando Norris by ten points in the driver standings, and Verstappen a further 49 points behind, the competition remains fierce. The Australian driver noted that the circuit has historically favoured Mercedes and Red Bull, leading him to question his team’s race pace but remaining optimistic about his prospects for victory.
Piastri acknowledged the struggle in qualifying, highlighting how slight missteps can cost valuable time. He remarked, “We are in the mix but paid the price for a slightly messy weekend.”
Qualifying saw Kimi Antonelli finish fourth for Mercedes, followed by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso achieving his best qualifying position this season with Aston Martin. Norris placed seventh, with Charles Leclerc from Ferrari and Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls rounding out the top ten. Alex Albon of Williams faced an unusual incident in the first qualifying group when his engine cover detached, resulting in a red flag, though he still advanced.
In contrast, Carlos Sainz Jr. of Ferrari was eliminated early in qualifying after being obstructed by Hadjar’s car. Yuki Tsunoda qualified 11th but suffered a ten-place grid penalty for passing Piastri during a red flag situation earlier in the day.
The race will take place at 4am AEST on Monday.