In his usual post-race statements, a bitter Oscar Piastri said he was not satisfied with the third place he achieved in the Qatar GP, the twenty-third and penultimate round of the 1 Formula 2024 World Championship. On the floodlit circuit of Lusail, the McLaren driver obtained a crucial podium for the constructors' standings. A podium that he maintained even after the investigation for an episode before the start of the race.
Race dominated by an exceptional Max Verstappen, followed by Charles Leclerc and the Australian driver. George Russell finished fourth, Pierre Gasly fifth, while Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso finished sixth and seventh respectively. Lando Norris, on the other hand, stopped in tenth position.
Piastri declares himself disappointed after Qatar GP
At the end of the Qatari race, the McLaren team driver spoke about his feelings during the ritual interviews under the podium: “A really complicated race, with mistakes, penalties and Safety Cars. The cars in front had a very similar pace to each other and it was very difficult to get into the DRS zone to overtake. I had some great battles on the track with Charles. I finished on the podium but objectively it wasn’t what I dreamed of, those in front of me were going faster and I couldn’t do more”.
A third place for McLaren that now postpones the battle for the constructors' title to Abu Dhabi, the last stop of the Circus: "It looks like it's going to be a great battle. Today we lost a great chance, but we'll give it our all next week to close this discussion. I don't understand why they penalized Norris. A very expensive penalty for us". Regarding the conditions of the race compared to last year: "Compared to 2023, the race was definitely more manageable from a physical point of view. The lower temperature meant that the cockpit didn't become a sauna. The track is fantastic, one of the most fun on the calendar. I enjoyed the race, but the result didn't satisfy me enough".
