As the Monaco Grand Prix approaches, Oscar Piastri has voiced concerns about the unpredictability of McLaren's MCL39 when pushing the limits during qualifying. This year's Monaco qualifying session is poised to be a pivotal moment in determining the winner of Sunday’s race, given the notoriously challenging nature of overtaking on the streets of Monte Carlo. Piastri currently leads the Drivers' Championship by 13 points over his teammate Lando Norris, having secured four victories out of seven races this season. However, he finished third at the previous race in Imola, trailing behind Max Verstappen and Norris.
Despite Piastri achieving his third pole position of the season—matching Verstappen’s tally—the grid order in Monaco is critical due to the limited overtaking opportunities. In preparation for the 78-lap race on Sunday, Piastri acknowledged the rapid pace of McLaren’s 2025 challenger but admitted it remains somewhat unpredictable at the limit during qualifying. This unpredictability was evident when Norris crashed in Saudi Arabia and struggled to set a clean lap in Bahrain, finishing sixth.
"I think we've slowly learnt how to tame it better and better," said Piastri. "At Imola, the car was feeling really good on Saturday. It is a bit difficult, a little bit unpredictable when you get to the limit, I would say. It clearly has a lot of pace there, but it's not always the easiest to extract just from not being able to fully predict what's going to happen."
Adding a layer of complexity to the race, the introduction of a mandatory two-stop rule this year could benefit drivers who encounter challenges during qualifying. This new regulation aims to enhance the viewing experience and introduce a greater strategic element to the race, which Piastri believes will lead to a markedly different race compared to previous years. Notably, neither McLaren driver has claimed victory in Monaco, with Lewis Hamilton being the last to achieve this feat for the team. Last year, Piastri finished in second place while Norris secured fourth.
Norris, who has celebrated one win this season at the season-opening race in Australia, expressed his ambition to win in Monaco, stating, "It's a dream for everyone." He remains optimistic that McLaren will deliver a strong performance this weekend, as it has throughout the current season. However, he also recognizes the increasing threat posed by Red Bull and Verstappen, who is now only 22 points behind Piastri in the championship standings following his recent victory in Imola.
While McLaren has showcased dominant performances, Norris pointed out that vulnerabilities still exist. "It still shows that we are vulnerable in certain areas. We still have things to improve on, even though we've had some great weekends where we've looked dominant. Clearly, we still have some weaknesses, so it's focusing on the good stuff but trying to work on those weaknesses and improve. That's F1; that's life every day in F1," he remarked.
As the Monaco Grand Prix weekend unfolds, all eyes will be on McLaren’s strategy and performance, particularly in qualifying, as they aim to overcome unpredictability and chase victory on one of the most prestigious circuits in the world.
