Oscar Piastri outqualified teammate Lando Norris during sprint qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix, but admitted “it’s been challenging” for McLaren—a bit surprising after their dominant showing in Australia.
Norris had crushed the competition in Melbourne to kick off the 2025 Formula 1 season, establishing McLaren as the team to beat. Piastri would have finished right behind him if not for a costly mistake after the second safety car restart, when he slid off track and dropped from 2nd to 9th in front of his home crowd.
In Shanghai, early signs pointed to another McLaren showcase. Norris put a massive five-tenths gap between himself and the rest of the field during the weekend’s only practice session.
But qualifying told a different story.
Neither McLaren could recapture that early pace when it mattered most. Piastri managed to find enough speed for P3, while Norris struggled to sixth fastest in the SQ3 session.
“Overall, a positive first day on track in China,” Piastri said after Friday’s action. “SQ1 and SQ2 felt good, we just couldn’t get the pace out of the car in SQ3.”
The 23-year-old Australian pointed to track conditions as part of the challenge.
“It’s been tough at times adapting to the track’s new surface,” he explained. “The grip’s been a lot better than last season which is nice, but it’s very peaky.”
Despite the qualifying hiccup, Piastri remains optimistic about his chances in the sprint race.
“The pace in the car is still very strong and I’m confident I can fight for a higher finish from third in tomorrow’s Sprint,” he said.
McLaren’s sudden pace drop-off raises questions about whether their Australian dominance was a one-off or if the Shanghai circuit simply doesn’t suit their car as well.
Can they bounce back for the main qualifying session and Sunday’s Grand Prix? The pressure’s on.
