Oscar Piastri doesn’t consider McLaren’s drivers may have the struggle for pole place to themselves regardless of the crew topping each follow classes on Friday at Imola.
The winner of the final three grands prix headed second follow by two hundredths of a second from crew mate Lando Norris. Max Verstappen and George Russell, their closest rivals within the championship, have been fourth and fifth respectively behind Pierre Gasly.
Piastri is certain it gained’t be simply the 2 MCL39s within the hunt for pole tomorrow. “In the intervening time I don’t suppose it’s simply Lando and I,” he mentioned. “I believe there’s a number of others that can be part of us within the struggle tomorrow so we’ve received to maintain our heads down and try to discover a bit extra.”
Nevertheless he admitted he was “moderately” happy with the crew’s tempo throughout follow. “However I believe there’s nonetheless some issues we wish to try to work on and enhance,” he mentioned.
“This wouldn’t be the primary Friday the place we’ve seemed sturdy after which everybody’s discovered a bit extra going into qualifying. So I believe we nonetheless wish to discover a bit extra however every little thing’s gone fairly easily. The automobile’s feeling first rate nonetheless a number of extra issues to tweak, however all in all, not unhealthy.”
Verstappen took pole place for the final two grands prix. Piastri says the problem of overtaking at Imola will make this pole particularly essential.
“Saturday has been essential just about all over the place this yr,” he mentioned. “I believe Imola is, no matter what the remainder of this yr’s seemed like, a spot the place qualifying means so much. That’s going to be essential.”
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McLaren dominated the Miami Grand Prix, the place Piastri completed 37 seconds forward of the crew’s closest rival. Nevertheless crew principal Andrea Stella doesn’t anticipate they are going to be capable to replicate that efficiency at Imola.
“I believe we’re understanding the strengths of the MCL39, which general is a aggressive automobile, however in some circumstances it appears to have a sure benefit over the remainder of the sector,” he mentioned. “These circumstances materialised very properly in Miami with the monitor structure, the velocity vary, the ambient temperatures.
“However we all know very properly that in another sorts of circuits like in Saudi or Japan, it’s a unique story. All the pieces will get rather a lot tighter.
“So, hopefully we can retain this attribute and this benefit over the course of the season. However I believe it will require the automobile to be developed, to be upgraded, as a result of we see that nobody is ready, nobody is standing nonetheless. We see upgrades being introduced trackside by our opponents.
“We do plan to improve the MCL39 and try to, if something, presumably make the automobile much more appropriate for a wider vary of circumstances and cornering velocity.”
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