McLaren's Monaco Gamble: How Piastri Almost Took Pole on the Legendary Circuit
This weekend’s Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix had fans at the edge of their seats, and one of the highlights was Oscar Piastri’s unexpected performance. Piastri candidly shared that his McLaren team was “not convinced” they could contend for the much-coveted pole position in the historic Monaco circuit.
Piastri’s uncertainty wasn’t baseless. During Friday’s practice sessions, neither he nor the team had a clear indication of their standing. The mood in the McLaren camp ranged from cautious optimism to outright skepticism, with Piastri admitting they “could be first, [or] could be 10th.”
Come Saturday, however, Piastri silenced the doubters. He clinched a front-row start, finishing just a tenth and a half behind pole-sitter Charles Leclerc. This achievement was particularly significant given the razor-thin margins in play; the top six were separated by mere fractions of a second.
Reflecting on the unexpected success, Piastri noted, “I think we came into this weekend pretty confident that we could be in the fight for pole and the win again.” Despite a wavering sense of certainty heading into qualifying, the car felt excellent when it mattered most. The weekend's ups and downs didn't deter him. Piastri clarified, “We were struggling a little bit through the weekend. We didn’t really know quite where we sat.”
The qualifying session demanded pushing the limits. Piastri remarked on his experience, saying, “I think the last lap of Q3, there’s a few corners I wish I could have again.” Yet, he acknowledged that errors are almost inevitable when pushing for those perfect laps.
Interestingly, Piastri invoked thoughts reminiscent of Max Verstappen’s famous Miami Grand Prix remarks. Reflecting on missed opportunities in Turns 5 and 10, he commented, “It’s pretty pointless saying if you could have done,” echoing Verstappen’s philosophies on the futility of dwelling on missed chances. Still, with Monaco’s narrow window for overtaking, the front row was a coveted position.
Now facing the reality of a Grand Prix in Monaco, Piastri pondered his strategy. “I mean, the run to Turn 1 is always your best chance at any track,