Oscar Piastri secured his first Formula 1 pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix after a two-year wait at McLaren.
The 23-year-old beat the likes of teammate Lando Norris, George Russell and Max Verstappen to secure top honours in Shanghai.
Piastri endured a miserable start to the season after a costly mistake at his home race in Melbourne, where he had been in contention for victory until a second band of rain arrived.
McLaren continue to lead the constructors’ championship, but only by one point over Mercedes who have been consistent to start the year.
Guenther Steiner thinks Piastri was a target for Red Bull before he signed an extension with McLaren last week.
Considering the current state of the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s operation, he’s probably far better off where he is now.
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Damon Hill delivers two-word praise of Oscar Piastri after Chinese Grand Prix pole position
Even though he didn’t need to in the end, Piastri improved on his final run in Q3 to consolidate his position on top in Shanghai.
He was nearly one-tenth ahead of Russell at the close of play, taking his first pole and eighth front-row start.
1996 Formula 1 champion Damon Hill shared some praise for the Aussie after his superb lap in the heat on Saturday.
“Quiet confidence,” he said in an Instagram story.
McLaren are concerned about Piastri’s car in windy conditions, after realising that it might not be too stable at the Australian Grand Prix.
It doesn’t seem to have affected them too much in China, although they appear to be slower than they were in the season-opener.
READ MORE: Max Verstappen proved he has one vital skill Oscar Piastri hasn’t developed yet at the Australian Grand Prix
Who are Oscar Piastri’s biggest challengers for the Chinese Grand Prix victory?
The top eight were spread by less than five-tenths of a second during qualifying, which sets up a terrific showdown during the race.
Norris, Verstappen, Russell and even Lewis Hamilton after his sprint race performance should all be in the fight for top honours.
Zak Brown called Hamilton ‘pretty special’ after his first win in red, and mentioned how much he enjoys watching his drivers race against him.
A five-car battle for the win is exactly what some pundits predicted would happen at some races before the season started.
In the final year before the 2026 F1 regulations, it appears that the teams really are separated by virtually nothing at some tracks – it’s all down to the drivers.
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