Oscar Piastri was notably outpaced by teammate Lando Norris during sprint qualifying at the United States Grand Prix, finishing three-tenths behind Norris and four-tenths adrift of polesitter Max Verstappen. The Australian put the gap down to a “scruffy lap” and said that while he didn’t string his best sectors together, he’s not worried about his pace or prospects.
Piastri reflected, “Yeah, in quite a few places. I think a pretty scruffy lap, to be honest. I just didn’t really get it together. So in some ways, I feel a bit fortunate to be third, but I think the pace in the car is good and it’s nothing major. It’s not like it’s been a disastrous day at all, just been a little bit of a messy lap that I can hopefully find out [in qualifying].”
Despite the setback, both Piastri and Norris will start at the sharp end of the sprint, with Verstappen securing pole position, and all three title contenders lined up at the front. Piastri commented on his approach for COTA’s notoriously dramatic first corner: “See what happens at the start. If I can get a good launch, then try and put myself in the right spot. Knowing where the right spot is into Turn 1 here is often tricky. So let’s see what happens.”
Ultimately, Piastri remains confident in the car’s overall pace and believes a cleaner qualifying run will bring him closer to his teammate and the fight for victory.
