Piastri: "Mercedes looks strong, and Ferrari have taken a step with their upgrades"
Oscar Piastri delivered one of his cleaner qualifying performances of the Barcelona‑Catalunya weekend, yet the final result — seventh on the grid — reflected just how brutally tight the competitive order has become.
After looking slightly unsettled through practice, the Australian found a more confident rhythm when it mattered, but the margins in Q3 left no room for even the smallest deficit. His 1:15.090 was ultimately enough only for the fourth row, despite sitting just a tenth away from third place.
Piastri made clear that the lap itself felt strong until the final sector, where McLaren unexpectedly lost time. “It was incredibly tight today, with such a small gap from third down to us in P7,” he said.
“We lost more than expected in the final sector, so we need to review why because the lap up to then felt good. Right now, Mercedes looks strong, and Ferrari have taken a step with their upgrades — their corner speeds have been impressive all season, even if they’re still paying a price on the straights.”
The Australian expects Sunday to be shaped less by outright pace and more by execution under pressure. With high temperatures, abrasive asphalt and historically high degradation, Barcelona is almost certain to produce a multi‑stop race.
“Tomorrow will likely be a long, hot two‑stop race, maybe more, and the key will be managing degradation and maintaining pace across the stints,” he explained.
“While Mercedes and Ferrari were quicker today than yesterday, strategy and tyre offsets could open up opportunities, and we feel more in the fight than last week. If the race plays out like we’ve seen here in recent years, with multiple stops and differing tyre life, there’s definitely a chance to gain a few positions.”
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella echoed that sentiment, emphasising both the competitiveness of the field and the fine margins that shaped qualifying.
“We are back in a situation where four teams are incredibly close to one another, which is great news and a positive step forward for us after Monaco,” he said.
tella noted that Lando Norris’s session had been compromised by the red flag, while Piastri’s deficit to the front was almost negligible. “For Oscar, the margins were razor‑thin, just a tenth of a second separated P3 from P7 today.”