Oscar Piastri obtained "only" a third place in the qualifying Dutch GP. The young Australian driver had proven to be very fast both in free practice. Yet all this was not enough. In Q3 Piastri was unable to set that perfect lap for Pole Position. However, his imperfections also cost him second place in favor of Verstappen.
Piastri's third place could weigh on the finale of the Dutch GP
It has been said several times over the course of this year that McLaren, despite being armed with the best performing cars of the lot for a few months, is unable to realize its full potential. Often, the work done in the factory by workers and engineers is nullified by the imperfections of its pilots. Norris he loses in the starts, while Piastri proves to be a formidable driver on the one hand, while on the other he lets the experts notice how far he still has to go to become a top driver. Today Oscar wasn't perfect, relegating himself to third position and significantly halving his chances of victory. The team, however, may have something to complain about. In fact, having conceded second position to Verstappen, earned thanks to a perfect lap, may have exposed Verstappen's chances of victory. McLaren at considerable risk, with the Dutchman able to press and attack Norris right from the start.
Piastri doesn't give up: "victory is not out of reach"
"I didn't do a good enough job actually. My first ride was pretty solid. But in the last attempt, especially in the second half of the lap, I didn't do what was necessary. I'm sorry I didn't get to the front of the line. But there is still a good car for the race and I hope to bring home points and a trophy“. These are the words of self-criticism that Oscar Piastri inflicted on himself in the usual post-qualifying interviews. However, in addition to the disappointment of missing the front row, the Australian driver said he was comforted by the performance offered by his car, especially after installing new updates over the weekend. “They are reacting as we expected. When we are so close Putting new things on the car is always good."
Finally, despite the subpar qualifying and the limited overtaking possibilities that Zandvoort offers, Oscar Piastri still feels optimistic, hoping for something more than a third place for tomorrow. “Victory is not out of reach, the pace looked good in the race simulation and we have been fast over the last two weekends. So let's hope we have a good day tomorrow, starting well and trying to recover positions. We certainly have good prospects for the race".
