In the first stint at Imola, Carlos Sainz successfully held off Oscar Piastri.
Oscar Piastri felt his race at Imola was “boring” after finding it difficult to overtake on Sunday, with the narrow nature of the circuit not lending itself to easy passes.
During his entire initial stint, Piastri found himself unable to pass Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. Although he managed to undercut and overtake Sainz during the pit stops, his chances of reaching the podium were thwarted by Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.
Oscar Piastri wants DRS zone lengthened at Imola after overtaking struggles
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Piastri secured a front-row qualifying position on Saturday. However, due to impeding Kevin Magnussen in Q1, he received a three-place grid penalty. This setback necessitated his efforts to overcome the penalty and secure a place on the podium.
The toughness to overtake at Imola was made even more difficult by the McLaren driver pointing out that the sole DRS zone at the circuit was shorter than it was the last time Formula 1 visited the circuit in 2022, something which he hopes to see rectified next season.
From his vantage point within the cockpit, he perceived the situation as “boring,” yet he recognized that such weekends are bound to occur.
Piastri described his race as “extremely challenging,” he revealed to Sky F1.
Today, overtaking seemed nearly unattainable. Despite giving my utmost effort, I found myself trailing Carlos for around 20 laps, constantly attempting to surpass him, yet never managing to get within striking distance.
We decided to reduce the length of DRS this year. However, I personally found the race quite dull as I wasn’t aware of the exciting moments that took place afterwards. Therefore, I hope they consider extending DRS again. We’ll just have to wait and see.
However, I believe that was the maximum effort we could have exerted today, which is quite disappointing given the impressive speed we displayed throughout the weekend. Nevertheless, such is life, and things don’t always go as planned.
More key info that you need following events at Imola on Sunday
F1 2024: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates
F1 schedule: When is the next F1 race and where is it being held?
Piastri attributed his grid drop as a significant factor for his unfavorable starting position in the race. However, he found comfort in McLaren’s recent impressive performance, especially with the addition of upgrades to compete against Red Bull. The Australian driver anticipates being competitive and aiming for victories in the future.
After the race, he explained to the media, including PlanetF1.com, that he had anticipated the pain since qualifying, and today’s events certainly confirmed it.
In my opinion, this week has been filled with numerous positive aspects and words of encouragement. As a team, it is evident that we are united and progressing together.
In my opinion, I have felt really strong during the last two weekends.
“Having experienced a successful weekend in Miami, I must say that Imola has also been quite impressive. It seems like we have given our absolute best in this race and achieved the maximum possible outcome.”
Personally, I am delighted to have finally gained some positive momentum over the past two weekends. This is a goal I have been actively working towards.
“As a team, we are demonstrating our strength in various tracks and challenging conditions that have historically posed difficulties for us. This shows that we are actively competing for victories.”
Read next: Emilia Romagna GP: Lando Norris agonisingly close to second win as Max Verstappen hangs on at Imola
