Piastri: A strong team–mate is an advantage

      Oscar Piastri on winning in Shanghai and interacting with Lando Norris…

      Question: Oscar, congratulations! You drove the race flawlessly, winning after starting from pole position.…Oscar Piastri: It's always nice to finish first. But I'm very positive about not only the race, but the weekend as a whole.

      My previous two victories turned out to be very different, but this one was the most fulfilling. I am very pleased with the efforts of the whole team this weekend. We started it with a car that was fast but difficult to drive, and we were able to find an approach to it. And the victory was a great end to a difficult weekend.

      Q: There was a lot of talk about tire wear before the race, but you managed to do 42 laps on Hard. When did it become clear that one pit stop would be enough?Oscar Piastri: After 10-15 laps on Hard. You know, it was easier in the Medium race than in the sprint, and the Hard tires behaved much better than everyone expected. Before the start, I set up for two pit stops, even at the beginning of the race I thought that way, and I was pleasantly surprised that the Hard line-up turned out to be so good.

       Q: Has McLaren's 50th victory double this weekend added to their confidence ahead of the Suzuka race?Oscar Piastri: Yes, that's encouraging. I'm sure it's going to be difficult, but we feel like we're on the right track, and we're looking forward to the end of the year.

      Q: Does competing with Lando help you progress?Oscar Piastri: Yes, we have a slightly different piloting style, different strengths and weaknesses, and we learn a lot from each other. This weekend, something worked in my favor, other weekends it didn't, and I'm watching how Lando operates.

      A strong partner is an advantage, you always learn from each other. It's impossible to measure how much lap time you gain due to the pressure from your teammate, but it definitely makes you faster. We learn something from each other every weekend, and I've learned a lot over the last couple of years.

      Q: You scored a lot of points this weekend and are in fourth place in the drivers' championship, where the results are very close. Isn't it too early to think about fighting for the title, or is it important to take advantage of the speed of your car as soon as possible?Oscar Piastri: Regardless of whether your season is short or long, you need to make the most of the car's capabilities in every race.

      Last year, Verstappen was able to win the championship thanks to the points he scored at the beginning of the season. Obviously, he did his best in the rest of the races too, but he had a gap created when his car had the advantage.

      You never know when your opponents will win back the gap, and if there is an opportunity to gain an advantage, you need to take advantage of it. Of course, I'm not thinking about the title right now. It's become a bit of a cliche, but I look at each weekend individually, because that's how you can win the championship - to achieve the maximum at every stage.

       Question: Obviously, this success is very different from your victories in Hungary and Azerbaijan. What were you thinking about while maintaining the lead in the first corner?Oscar Piastri: I was very pleased. This was crucial for the first part of the race, especially since at that moment we didn't know how many pit stops there would be - one or two. It was important to be able to dictate the pace.

      This victory is less emotional than the first two, but more enjoyable. I feel much more comfortable this weekend, I know what to do. I still had to attack because the lead, except for the last laps, was not large, but I confidently controlled the course of the race and could add when necessary. I'm very happy with how the weekend turned out.

      Q: Can you compare this Chinese Grand Prix with last year's?Oscar Piastri: A year ago, I had a lot of problems here. Everything is much better now. I know the track well. Yes, it has changed after the renovation, but there are still many difficulties related to the configuration, regardless of the coating.

      It's nice to have a successful weekend at a track where I had so many problems last year. I am very pleased with the results of the hard work that not only I have done, but also the whole team.

      I got a much more competitive car, and I got better myself. We have made significant progress in 12 months, and although we will still have difficulties along the way, we feel much more confident now.