Oscar Piastri, the McLaren driver, secured pole position for the sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Friday. Despite his desire to win, Piastri acknowledged that his teammate Lando Norris has a greater need for points in the drivers’ standings.
The McLaren duo, aided by an updated rear wing, dominated the front row of the grid, raising the possibility of team orders to assist Norris’s title bid. Piastri expressed his willingness to relinquish a victory if necessary, recognizing Norris’s higher priority in the championship race.
However, Piastri emphasized his determination to win the sprint race, stating that anything could happen. He acknowledged that McLaren’s performance boost from the new rear wing had given them an advantage.
The newly resurfaced track at Interlagos proved to be challenging for the drivers due to its bumpy surface. Piastri described it as “hard enough to see where you’re going, let alone try to do a fast lap.”
Norris expressed surprise at the speed of his car, admitting that he had made mistakes on his final lap. He declined to discuss his prospects of closing in on Max Verstappen in the title race, stating that he was focused on his own performance.
Verstappen, who will face a five-place grid penalty in Sunday’s Grand Prix for taking a new engine, qualified fourth behind the McLaren duo and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. He attributed his performance to the car’s difficulty on the bumpy track.
Alex Albon finished ninth for Williams, while Oliver Bearman impressed in place of Kevin Magnussen for Haas.
