Piastri: Rivals are ready to exploit any mistake.

      Oscar Piastri turned 24 on race day, so the podium was a birthday present, but he expected more.…

      Question: Oscar, a great birthday present. How do you rate this Grand Prix?Oscar Piastri: Overall, I was hoping for a better result, but in terms of the pace and how I achieved it, I'm happy. The fate of the race was largely decided in qualifying, which did not allow the car to maximize its potential.

      Q: Are the qualifying results even more important this year than last year?Oscar Piastri: I don't know. I think qualifications have always been important. The rubber wear in Suzuka turned out to be low this time, it was easy to cover the distance with one pit stop, and it was impossible to gain an advantage due to the tires. Previously, Suzuka was overtaken due to the large difference in wear, but this weekend it was not like that.

      It all depends on the route. In Bahrain, for example, things may be different. But qualifications have always been important. Starting from pole position makes life much easier.

      Question: Oscar, what do you think about the chosen strategy and the timing of the pit stop? Was there a real chance to switch positions with Lando and get through to Max?Oscar Piastri: Russell had stopped a lap earlier, and Leclair wasn't that far behind, so we didn't know how effective the clipping could be. And we drove quite a long distance on Medium.

      For my part, I didn't see anything that we would have done wrong. In the end, yes, I said what I felt. Obviously, the team was happy with how things turned out. If I were in Lando's place, I'd be happy too. So it's okay. I just said what I felt in the car, and yes, that's how we want to race.

      Q: You claimed pole position in qualifying, but ended up third. The fight in the top three is very tight. Do you have a feeling that at this stage the fight for the title is going on within your top three?Oscar Piastri: On Saturday, I was disappointed to be third. Our car is very fast right now, although there are some things that need to be improved, but I know that Lando will be a strong contender because we have the same cars, and that Max will be a strong contender, given all that he has achieved in his career.

      The Mercedes cars looked very good over the weekend, as did the Ferraris - people forget that Charles spent the race in China with, in fact, half of the front wing. We have a slight advantage, but this weekend showed that the opponents are ready to take advantage of any mistake we make.

      Q: Were you close to trying to overtake Lando at the end of the race? Or was it too difficult in such circumstances?Oscar Piastri: It was too difficult. If the straight line had been a hundred meters longer, then I would have had a small chance. I've been close a couple of times, but I still haven't been able to get close enough to attack. It's hard to stay in the air flow when you get closer. So the chances of something happening were slim.