Oscar Piastri secured a superb second place in Japan. A result he considers almost like a victory, despite McLaren’s current limitations.
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Relief was palpable for Oscar Piastri at the finish of the Japanese Grand Prix. After two races marked by incidents even before the start, the Australian was finally able to fully express himself in the race… and in what a way.
Forced to retire even before the start in Australia and then stuck on the grid in China, Piastri had not really launched his season until then. At Suzuka, he not only took the start but immediately made an impression.
Thanks to a perfect start, he took the lead from the first corner, notably overtaking Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. An ideal start that laid the foundations for his race.
A perfectly executed race
Leading in the opening laps, Piastri demonstrated a solid pace, even managing to pull out a slight gap before the phase of pit stops. Everything seemed to be in place to challenge for the victory.
“We did a very good job at the start and we were able to optimize what we had, explains the McLaren driver. We had a good understanding of what we wanted from the car and the engine, and we managed to put everything together.”
But as often happens at Suzuka, an external element came to disrupt the hierarchy. The intervention of the safety car, following an accident, reshuffled the deck.
While Piastri had just consolidated his position against Russell after his stop, Kimi Antonelli took advantage of this neutralization to make a “free” stop, thus regaining the lead of the race.
A blow for the Australian, who had to settle for second place despite a very solid performance.
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“Like a victory” despite everything
Despite the disappointment of not winning, Piastri prefers to focus on the positive. In McLaren’s current context, this result far exceeds expectations.
“Honestly, we did everything right. The strategy was good, the pace was better than expected…” he analyzes, before concluding: “A result like this, right now, is almost like a victory for us.”
A statement that says a lot about McLaren’s situation, still in a reconstruction phase against the top teams on the grid.
McLaren on the right track
This podium nevertheless confirms the progress made by McLaren. The team now seems capable of seizing opportunities and maximizing its potential when everything aligns.
Piastri notably highlights the importance of the work done on starts and setups: “Our starts were very solid all weekend, and the race pace was a good surprise.”
Even if victory remains out of reach in normal conditions, this performance proves that McLaren is gradually closing in on the best teams.
And if the trend continues, Oscar Piastri could quickly turn these podiums “like victories”… into real triumphs.
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