MIAMI, Fla. — After Oscar Piastri lost to his teammate Lando Norris in the Formula 1 sprint race earlier today at the Miami Grand Prix, he expressed disappointment, humorously stating, “I won’t buy lottery tickets here.”
This sense of misfortune persisted into the afternoon.
Having clocked the third fastest lap in the first qualifying round and making progress in Q2, Piastri ultimately secured P4 for the main event on Sunday.
Speaking to media outlets, Piastri acknowledged where things went wrong and took responsibility.
“Yeah, luck had nothing to do with this afternoon. I didn’t execute at the level I needed in Q3,” he began. “When your best lap is from the first lap of Q2, it’s clear it wasn’t a stellar qualifying session, and there were still opportunities left unexploited.”
“There were a few errors in both laps during Q3, which is disappointing.”
Piastri highlighted Turn 1 as a critical problem area, recalling how he had previously taken the lead in the F1 sprint against rookie Kimmi Antonelli, but struggled there in Q3.
“I think I lost almost two and a half tenths in turn one. The first lap in Q3 lost a bit of time in sector one and then slipped further back.”
“I eventually made up some time at the end, but it wasn’t sufficient; this wasn’t about preparation.”
“Unfortunately, it was just a matter of driving poorly.”
The McLaren driver mentioned that the MCL39 had enough speed to contend for pole positions in both the sprint race and the Grand Prix this weekend, although both he and Norris fell short in qualifying.
Piastri pointed out that mastering the MCL39 “correctly on the limits” is still a challenge.
“There are still a few issues with our car. We want to push it and maximize its capabilities.”
“I believe I had the pace for pole this weekend, but unfortunately, my performance didn’t reflect that.”
“It’s always close, and I think our advantages might have increased a bit heading into Sunday,” Piastri added. “But the reality is, if we make a mistake, we could end up losing out—that’s for sure.”
Regardless of how Friday and Saturday pan out in Miami, Piastri feels optimistic for Sunday. Navigating clean air and making competitive moves can prove challenging.
“You know, qualifying will play a significant role tomorrow, making it tough to advance.”
“But I’m feeling confident.”
