McLaren CEO Zak Brown has declared that clean air will be a critical factor for Oscar Piastri’s chances of winning the Chinese Grand Prix.
Piastri secured the first pole position of his Formula One career, setting rivals on notice with two sizzling laps on the eve of the Chinese Grand Prix.
In the sprint race, the Aussie had looked dangerous but destroyed his tyres being tucked up behind Max Verstappen for much of the race.
Brown says clean air – having an undisturbed airflow around a car – will be crucial.
‘It is critical around here,’ Brown told Sky Sports F1.
‘When I spoke with Oscar when he got past Max in the Sprint, I was kind of expecting him to close the gap to Lewis, and Lewis left.
Oscar Piastri secured the first pole position of his Formula One career for the Chinese GP
Zak Brown has declared that clean air will be a critical factor for Oscar Piastri
‘I think that clean air is pretty critical around this track in particular, so hopefully we’ll get a good start and be in some clear air.
‘It’s been a tricky weekend for us, and we know we’ve had the pace in the car, but the Sprint race was great for Oscar and less so for Lando, but I’m sure Lando is a little bit grumpy he’s not on that front-row with him, but he can see him.
‘It is awesome to have Oscar get his first pole, he’s been so close, and it was a mega lap, only he and George improved on the second lap, I think the wind direction changed so it was an awesome third sector.
‘I know the year is short, but we’ve been saying it is going to be a really close season, and if you miss a sector, or lock a wheel, you will be P6 instead of P1, so it is certainly nice to be here.’
Lando Norris will start third, despite leading the first segments of qualifying (Q1 and Q3).
The Brit pitted on his final lap after a couple of mistakes – continuing a scrappy weekend – but still bettered the efforts of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (fourth), Hamilton (fifth) and Charles Leclerc (sixth)
Piastri won two races in 2024, and has previously had sprint poles.
But the 56-lap race beginning on Sunday at 6pm (AEDT) will be the first time he starts at the top of the grid in any grand prix.
Piastri edged Mercedes rival George Russell and McLaren teammate Lando Norris in qualifying for Sunday’s race
‘The laps were a little bit scruffy, but I’m just pumped,’ Piastri said.
‘Q3, I just found a lot of pace. Q1 and Q2 I was definitely struggling, the car came alive in Q3 and I came alive.’
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown said it was ‘awesome’ to see Piastri’s first pole.
‘He’s been close, a lot of front rows, and that was a mega lap,’ Brown said.
Hamilton’s off-season shift from Mercedes was widely tipped to shake up the circuit.
An underwhelming start in Melbourne, where he finished 10th, had some pundits revisiting their predictions for the seven-time world champion.
But the 40-year-old, a record six-time winner on the Shanghai International Circuit, was far too good in Saturday’s 19-lap tussle.
Piastri crossed the line 6.8 seconds behind Hamilton in the sprint. Norris started sixth and finished eighth.
Jack Doohan’s poor start to the season continued in the sprint, when he was called to the stewards’ room then handed a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points on his licence.
Doohan sent fellow rookie Gabriel Bortoleto into a spin on the final lap, with stewards finding the Australian was to blame for the collision.
‘I went for a move on the last lap at turn 14, it didn’t exactly go to plan,’ Doohan said, later qualifying 18th for Sunday.
‘I need to have a look into it and see what happened so that it doesn’t happen again.’
