Oscar Piastri has admitted that improving his execution over a single lap will be integral to his prospects of mounting a championship challenge in Formula 1 in 2025.
Piastri delivered a promising sophomore season in F1 as eight podiums, including two wins, helped McLaren claim the Constructors’ title for the first time since 1998.
However, Piastri propped up a vast 82 points behind team-mate Lando Norris, who was unable to take Max Verstappen down to the wire in the Drivers’ Championship.
The Australian being unable to match Norris resulted in McLaren imposing team orders on him at one stage, though that was retracted once Verstappen won the title.
But with McLaren poised to go into 2025 billed as the team the rest will have to catch, Piastri will be eager to avoid being put in a position where he has to help Norris.
The Australian has acknowledged that vital to his chances next term will be to circumvent the 20-4 head-to-head battering Norris inflicted on him in qualifying in 2024.
Piastri was unable to log his maiden pole position in the same MCL38 car that Norris used to take eight, leaving the former with too much ground to make up in races.
Asked how important a stronger opening to his third season in 2025 will be, Piastri told media including Motorsport Week: “It will be important.
“I think this season, I feel like I’ve made some good steps forward.
“There’s still room to go. I think, you know, the biggest one has been leaving a few too many positions on the table in qualifying.
“I don’t think I’ve ever really made life easy for myself in the races, in that aspect.
“So, I think that’s definitely the big focus of the off-season, just trying to get those last hundredths, last tenths.
“Because I feel like in all the other areas, I’ve been able to show what I’m capable of. And also show that I’ve improved from my rookie season.
“So, again, I feel like it’s now just putting everything together. Because I feel like the gaps now are very, very small or non-existent.
“It’s just that if I can get it all together, then I’ll be on my way, I think.”
Piastri confident he can address weakness
Norris was in a similar situation to Piastri 12 months ago as he rued squandering various opportunities through mistakes to manage higher starting spots on the grid.
But he made good on his promise to address that shortcoming as eight pole positions in 24 rounds matched Max Verstappen for the most among the drivers in 2024.
Pressed on whether he has an idea about where he can improve over the winter without being on the race track, Piastri replied: “I think so, yes.
“The big thing for me is that there’s not been many occasions where it’s been hard for me to understand where the time’s gone.
“After qualifying yesterday [Piastri missed out on pole in Abu Dhabi to Norris], I pretty much knew immediately where it had gone wrong.
“And, again, it’s not a case of really needing to find that extra step. It’s being able to just be on top of my game every time.
“Because I feel like when I have been on it, I’ve been good enough.
“That’s not to say that there’s still room to go on top of that. But I think the encouraging thing is that the potential has been there.
“So the next step is realising that potential and realising it every weekend. And I think if I can do that, then we’re in for a fun season.”
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