Oscar Piastri has acknowledged that his fifth-place qualifying result at the Las Vegas Grand Prix poses a serious challenge to his hopes for the 2023 Drivers’ Championship. The Australian driver’s title ambitions took a hit as teammate Lando Norris secured his 16th career pole position, further complicating Piastri’s pursuit of the championship.
Piastri entered the Las Vegas event trailing Norris by 24 points, following a difficult stretch where he was outscored by both Norris and Max Verstappen over the past six race weekends. The Melbourne-born driver began the season with a promising 34-point lead after the Zandvoort Grand Prix, but his fortunes have since waned significantly.
In qualifying, Norris demonstrated exceptional skill, navigating the challenging wet conditions to clinch pole position with ease. Piastri, on the other hand, struggled to find his rhythm, finishing the session with the fifth-fastest time. Reflecting on the implications of his qualifying performance, Piastri stated, “Yes, yes it does,” when asked about the potential impact on his championship chase. He remained hopeful, noting, “It’s Las Vegas after all, so a lot could happen.”
For Piastri to contend with Norris on race day, he will need to efficiently overtake Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, and George Russell, all of whom will start ahead of him. Positioned on the third row of the grid, Piastri faces a Grand Prix where he must limit damage to his championship hopes. Despite the setback, he expressed confidence in his ability to recover, stating, “I think, yes. It’s difficult to know exactly where anyone sits because of the lack of proper race running this weekend, but I think the car’s been pretty quick in all conditions.”
Amidst his challenges, Piastri noted the car’s performance in both wet and dry conditions. “It’s quick in the rain then, it’s quick in the dry yesterday. I think we’ve got good pace and hopefully we can use that to go forward tomorrow,” he added, displaying optimism for the race ahead.
While Piastri grapples with his circumstances, Norris is riding a wave of momentum, pursuing his fourth consecutive victory, including sprint races. The British driver dominated the recent events in Mexico City and Brazil, positioning himself strongly in the championship race. Starting from pole, he is well-placed to secure his third successive Grand Prix win.
Norris described the pressure of qualifying in Las Vegas, saying, “It was stressful as hell. It is so slippery out there that as soon as you hit the kerb, you snap the car, but it was good enough for P1.” He recounted the surprise of waking up to wet conditions ahead of qualifying, admitting, “I thought: ‘Oh c***, this is not going to go well.’”
As the Las Vegas Grand Prix approaches, the stage is set for an exciting race. With Piastri determined to make up ground and Norris in prime form, fans can expect a thrilling contest on the Sin City circuit.
