Winner in Miami by upgrade, Piastri proud of McLaren's work

Piastres started the season with a bang, winning four Grands Prix in the first quarter of the season. The Australian driver from McLaren obviously appreciates this fantastic start, on the eve of a hat trick of races. The first of the season, which concerned the Grands Prix of Japan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, allowed the Australian to take the lead in the world championship for the first time in his career.

Now that it has won three consecutive races, including the Miami Grand Prix two weeks ago, the No. 81 is satisfied with its own performance, but mainly with the work put in by the McLaren team. While last year, the papaya cars picked up pace as the season progressed, they have established themselves as the cars to beat from the start of this 2025 campaign.

“It would be difficult to say I'm not enjoying the journey right now, having won four out of six races. We've had a really good start to the season. I really appreciate the success we've had on track, but what's satisfying for me is the work we've put in behind the scenes to get there. It's different winning a Grand Prix by the skin of my teeth, or through favourable circumstances, than winning it because our car is incredibly fast and I feel I'm driving really well. It's very satisfying, it's what I dreamed of and what I enjoy the most.”

Heat, McLaren's ally

While the McLaren proved unstoppable at the Miami Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri remains cautious about the chances of a repeat this weekend at Imola. The two circuits are very different, for one thing, and the weather is expected to be just as different! The stormy, sweltering atmosphere of Florida should indeed give way to something much cooler and more pleasant in Emilia-Romagna.

“Miami was a track we were looking forward to, with warmer temperatures. Looking at some of the sessions earlier in the year, we felt like it would benefit us. Miami proved that it would, but I don't expect that to be the case every weekend. We have very soft tires for this round, which could help us, but it will be much cooler than Miami. The track is also different, bumpier, faster overall as well. I expect the competition to get closer compared to Miami. And in qualifying there, we saw that our rivals could be right on our heels, or even in front of us. We have to make sure we maximize everything we can, because if we make a small mistake, we can get overtaken.”

First elements of answers this Friday, with two free practice sessions.

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2025 Emilia-Romagna GP
The weekend program

Friday May 16
13h30 - Free Practice 1 (Canal+ Sport)
17h00 - Free Practice 2 (Canal+ Sport)
Saturday May 17
12h30 - Free Practice 3 (Canal+ Sport)
16h00 - Qualifications (Canal+ Sport/Live Text AUTOhebdo)
Sunday, May 18
15h00 - Grand Prix (Canal+/Live Text AUTOhebdo)