On pole for his 50th GP, Piastri says he is more confident than ever

The long-awaited duel for pole position between the McLaren did not finally take place this Saturday under the spotlights of Bahrain. Because if Oscar piastri held its rank, this was not the case for Lando Norris, only 6th.

The Australian therefore found himself alone in the fight for pole position since behind him, his pursuers all finished beyond a tenth and a half, George Russell taking 2nd place at 0 and Charles Leclerc 3rd at 0. A very nice gift for Oscar Piastri who will celebrate his 334th GP this Sunday with a second career pole position after the first in China a few weeks ago.

« I've felt confident since the start of the weekend., assures the McLaren driver. The first tests were an experience for everyone, we felt like we were driving a car rally rather than a F1. But from that moment on, my confidence in the car only increased.

During FP3, we had a very good pace. As for qualifying, the others were closer than we would have liked. (smiles). But I pulled out the tricks when I needed to pull them out and that's what matters most in the end. I'm very happy about that. »

As for the race, Oscar Piastri doesn't want to get too far ahead of himself just yet. Amid the emotion of his pole position, the Australian preferred to enjoy the moment, remaining open-minded about what's next.

« We'll see how it goes, he tempers. I just want to come out of the first corner in the lead. Then we'll see... But like I said, I'm feeling confident and there's no better place to start a race than pole position. Hats off to the team for the car they were able to provide me. Beyond that, I'm excited for tomorrow. (Sunday 17:00 p.m.) » He now has the opportunity to make a strong impact in the championship, while Lando Norris, who he is 13 points behind in the championship, will only start 6th, a provisional gap of 17 points.

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