Oscar Piastri demonstrated a remarkable recovery at the Singapore Grand Prix after a difficult race weekend in Azerbaijan. The Australian showed confidence and pace during Friday’s practice sessions at the challenging Marina Bay Street Circuit, signaling a much-needed rebound in his campaign.
Piastri’s Response Following Baku Difficulties
In contrast to his recent struggles in Baku, where he suffered a series of setbacks including a jump start, a crash in qualifying, and a collision on the opening lap, Piastri delivered an impressive performance in Singapore’s second practice session. He topped the timesheets, finishing just over a tenth of a second faster than Racing Bulls’ driver Isack Hadjar.
Sky Sports F1 expert Jamie Chadwick highlighted the sharp difference in Piastri’s demeanour compared to his teammate Lando Norris, emphasizing how this strong Friday performance was a positive turnaround.
“It couldn’t be more different, could they? A great day for Oscar,”
Chadwick said.
“He needed that after Baku. A good bounce back. He seems visibly happy, relaxed and confident. That’s a positive sign for him.”
Chadwick also noted that the nature of Piastri’s mistakes in Baku, being significant and uncharacteristic, made it easier for him to move past the negative weekend more quickly.
“I think he summed it up coming into this weekend when he said those mistakes that he made were so big and uncharacteristic in a way that it’s almost easier to draw a line under those compared to making loads of little mistakes,”
she explained.
“Something like jumping the start is a big mistake and obvious for him to write it off. I think in that sense, coming back to it this weekend… what has been good in his performance straight away out of the blocks has been very strong, which is what Oscar needed.”
Progress and Optimism at Singapore
Piastri’s previous experience in Singapore was not as encouraging, finishing significantly behind his teammate last year. However, this year the 24-year-old feels more in tune with his McLaren MCL39 and confident ahead of qualifying.
“Yeah definitely. I think I found my feet on the medium at the end there and then the soft felt good,”
Piastri shared, reflecting on his pace during practice.
“Obviously not much representative race running but no, the car is in a good place. I feel like I’ve learned a lot through today and that’s the aim of practice. It’s been a good day.”
Despite the two red flag interruptions that disrupted many teams’ attempts to complete full race simulations, Piastri emphasized that qualifying holds exceptional importance at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
“More or less I think. Here qualifying is a massive part of the weekend,”
he noted.
“It’s a massive part everywhere but especially here. It’s one of the most important. You’d rather qualify further up and deal with the unknown for the race than qualify further back but know exactly what’s going to happen in the race, as it’s not going to help you.”
Implications of Piastri’s Performance in Singapore
Oscar Piastri’s ability to bounce back following a challenging Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend highlights his resilience and growing maturity as a championship contender. Leading the F1 championship, his strong Friday pace at the Singapore Grand Prix positions him well for a successful qualifying session and possible strong race result. Maintaining this momentum will be crucial as the season progresses, especially on circuits where qualifying pace is key.
With evident improvements in confidence and the McLaren car’s competitiveness, Piastri’s Singapore comeback could mark a turning point in his campaign, setting a foundation for further success as he continues to battle his rivals, including teammate Lando Norris and drivers like Isack Hadjar at Racing Bulls.
