Piastri Confident for Pole Despite Difficult Friday in Abu Dhabi

Oscar Piastri maintains strong confidence in his pole position chances for Saturday's qualifying in Abu Dhabi, despite a challenging Friday practice where he only participated in one session and finished 11th. He believes McLaren's underlying pace is strong and expects to unlock more performance with additional track time.

Why it matters:

Piastri's confidence underscores McLaren's potential as a contender in the championship finale, with all three drivers – Piastri, Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen – having a path to the title. A pole position would be crucial for Piastri, who needs to finish in the top two and rely on other results to secure the championship.

The Details:

• Limited Track Time: Piastri sat out FP1 due to McLaren's rookie-running requirement, leaving him with only one hour of practice in FP2.
• FP2 Performance: He completed 29 laps in FP2, finishing 11th, nearly seven-tenths behind his teammate Lando Norris, who topped the session.
• Underlying Pace: Despite the raw position, Piastri was upbeat, attributing his FP2 result to not maximizing the grip on his soft-tire run. He believes the car's underlying pace on medium tires was strong.
• Minor Adjustments Expected: Piastri doesn't anticipate major overnight changes to the car, instead focusing on refining 'little details' and extracting more from the existing package.
• Championship Scenario: Piastri enters the Abu Dhabi finale 16 points behind Norris and four behind Max Verstappen. To win the championship, he needs a top-two finish in the race, alongside favorable outcomes for his rivals.

What's next:

Piastri will be looking to capitalize on Saturday's qualifying sessions to secure a strong grid position, which is vital for his championship aspirations. With more laps under his belt and further fine-tuning, he expects to be firmly in contention for pole.