Oscar Piastri: The race was not easy

      Oscar Piastri confidently won the race at Spa, extending his lead in the championship standings…

      Question: Oscar, great win. Tell us what happened in the cockpit. How difficult was the race, and how challenging was it to complete such a long stint on Medium tires?

      Oscar Piastri: The race wasn't easy. After the start, I had to monitor the condition of the intermediate tires as the track dried quickly — at Spa, you can destroy them in one or two laps if you push too hard.

      After switching to Medium tires, I felt confident for the first five laps, but then I saw that the Hard tires on Lando's car weren't significantly slower, and I started to get a bit nervous because nearly 25 laps remained until the finish. I had to conserve the tires, but overall, it went much better than I feared.

      Question: Did you consider pitting for Hard tires during the pit stop?

      Oscar Piastri: We discussed that before the race. The decision to pit on that lap was pretty late, and there are always risks. If I were Lando, I might have made the same call.

      At that moment, it was safest to stay on Medium because the Hard compound here is two steps stiffer. I wasn't sure how it would behave under those conditions. If a safety car had come out, which often happens on a wet track, it would be better to go for Medium rather than Hard. In the end, I’m happy with how we handled it.

      Question: The overtake of your teammate on the first lap played a crucial role. Did you expect it?

      Oscar Piastri: I knew that if I took the lead early, it would really help me. I got a good start out of the first turn, tried to be as aggressive as possible at O'Rourke, and managed to stay in the airflow. I knew that was very important for winning the race.

      Question: The upcoming race in Hungary, where you secured your first victory last year — are you looking forward to returning?

      Oscar Piastri: I’m very happy to go back there. It’s always a fun weekend. Great city, a fantastic track. I’m sure it will be nice to return to the place where I got my first win. But when you’re on the track, you forget about all that.

      Question: You dedicated your win to your grandfather. Why specifically Spa?

      Oscar Piastri: It’s my first race outside Australia that he came to watch. Maybe I should assemble more family members for the upcoming races. I felt he was the best person to dedicate this victory to.