Piastri: The pace of the race was unexpected even for us

      Oscar Piastri won the third race in a row for McLaren in Miami, consolidating the lead in the individual standings.…

      Q: Oscar, great race. What kind of dance did you perform in a closed park? Was it "griddy"?Oscar Piastri: I knew you'd ask. Yes, I tried to parody "griddy". On Thursday, I met Justin Jefferson, who made "griddy" world famous, and we made a bet. I said that if I won the race, I would dance. So yes, this was my first live dancing experience. I've done my part of the argument.

      Q: You had to fight in the first laps, and then you showed a fantastic pace on a free track. Did you like it?Oscar Piastri: Yes, it was great at some points. It's not easy to overtake Max, but I found the right moment. The car was fast, overtaking was a matter of time, but I wanted to do it with minimal loss of time, realizing that then Lando would chase after me. I wanted to get past Max quickly but cleanly. Everything worked out, and then I was able to break away. All that remained was to control the breakaway, adding speed when necessary.

      Question: At the finish line, you beat the nearest opponent from the other team by 37 seconds, which can be considered dominance. Looking at the weekend as a whole, do you see what needs to be improved?Oscar Piastri: First of all, we need to celebrate this success. It wasn't the best weekend for me because of Saturday. Yes, I won this race, but usually the probability of winning when starting from fourth place is quite low. I did the right thing in the race, but I had luck and a fast car on my side. I can't hope for luck every Sunday.

      Obviously, in Miami, our car was faster than usual this year. The pace we showed in the race from the first lap was unexpected even for us. We will work to make it like this every weekend, but we still have a lot to work on, both for me and the team.

       Q: In which part of the track was the car particularly strong?Oscar Piastri: Honestly, I don't know. In qualifying, we were inferior in the high-speed corners, but we won back in the slow ones. In the race, all the turns become slower, and tire condition control comes first. Perhaps this is our strong point this year. So far, this is the hottest race in terms of track temperature. It was hot in Saudi Arabia, but in Miami the highway temperature was even higher. I think it helped our pace.

      Q: If we talk about the season as a whole, which will be more difficult – to fight with Max or to keep Lando behind?Oscar Piastri: I would say that the tasks are very different. In Miami, our cars were clearly the best. I've been racing with Lando for a few years and I know how fast he is. It is very difficult to fight him. But Max is also a difficult opponent. Both tasks are very different. The fight against Lando promises to be very intense, but both tasks are difficult.

       Question: Two years ago you and Lando didn't have any wins, now you're dominating. What has changed? Has the atmosphere in the team changed? How does it feel like the difference from a year ago and two years ago?Oscar Piastri: Compared to two years ago, the team has become completely different. We have always had dedication and hard work. Even two years ago, we knew that one day we would return to the lead. When Lando won last year, it was very pleasant for the whole team. We realized that we have a car that allows us to win races due to its speed.

      Last year's stage in Miami was a turning point, in that race we were the fastest on the track. Since then, we have been trying to continue in the same spirit. Determination and hard work have remained the same, but we celebrate success more often, which is nice.