Oscar Piastri has admitted to a “quite messy” opening day of running at the Monaco Grand Prix, but the Aussie also feels confidence about McLaren’s pace in the Principality.
The championship leader, who is chasing his fifth win of the season this weekend, concluded FP1 in fifth position but advanced to second behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in Friday’s late afternoon session.
However, Piastri’s FP2 was marred by a costly mistake at Sainte Devote, where he clipped the wall, necessitating a return to the pits and a new nose for his MCL39.
“Tricky. Yes, I think just the whole day has been up and down,” Piastri told Sky F1 at the end of his day.
“I think when we get everything together, the pace is quite good. It’s just not proving that easy to do at the moment.
“So some things to look at, especially for myself, it’s been a very messy day. So yeah, to try and reset a bit tomorrow, because I think the pace in the car is there.”
Piastri noted Ferrari’s strength around Monte Carlo’s tight streets, with Charles Leclerc topping both sessions and looking increasingly like the driver to beat this weekend.
“I think clearly Ferrari are looking a lot stronger here than they have done,” he continued.
“But yeah, I think for today, it’s been on my side, been quite messy, but yeah, plenty of things to learn, and think tomorrow will be an interesting day.”
Norris Cautious Despite “Good Fun” Start
Lando Norris, who topped FP1 at one point FP1 before slipping to third and then fourth across both sessions, echoed the sentiment that while McLaren’s underlying speed is there, perfect execution is proving elusive.
“It’s always good fun here. It’s always stressful, but, yeah, good fun,” Norris said. “Just difficult to get some clean laps and things at times. But I think a nice feeling, felt comfortable from the beginning. But you know, progress [needed] more in some areas.”
The Brit pointed to the unique but predictable demands of the Monaco circuit, where even the smallest errors can snowball into larger issues.
“It’s difficult to describe the things,” Norris explained. “But, you know, we’re talking small things, like it’s not huge, you know.
“But when you’re talking about hundredths here and there, it’s small, all the small things that add up, but just too difficult to get the braking right, to get the cornering right, to get the tyres, the grip, the feeling all in like the perfect window.”
With qualifying looming on Saturday afternoon – Monaco’s most critical session – both McLaren drivers are hoping for a cleaner day to maximize the promise of the MCL39.
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