Oscar Piastri: I didn't deserve second place in Monza.

      At a press conference in Baku, Oscar Piastri, responding to questions about McLaren's possible tactics in the remaining races of the season, indicated that he had discussed the matter in detail with the team but refused to disclose the details.

      Oscar Piastri: "I think this season is very different from last year. In 2024 the fight went on until the final race, and it was also very eventful, but it's quite obvious that this year the McLaren car is much better, and the team is doing an excellent job of handling its tasks.

      This year the inevitability of our championship victory feels much clearer, and that's wonderful because it reflects the enormous work every team member has put in. I'm lucky to be the person who drives this car, and I'm very proud of what we've achieved together.

      Of course, there's a lot of talk right now about what happened in Monza, and we had a good conversation within the team; we cleared up many questions and now know how we'll act in the remaining races, and that's the most important thing. But we won't share that information, because if our rivals know what we plan to do, we could become easy targets for them. In short, I'm looking forward to the weekend in Baku.

      I don't know if it would have been harder for me to give the position to my teammate in Monza if there had been a chance to fight for the win. Probably it would have, but being put in that situation isn't part of my plans. However, you have to consider that at the Grand Prix there was a delay during my teammate's pit stop, as well as the order in which we visited the pits, and that also influenced the team's decision for us to swap positions.

      Furthermore, it's simply impossible to plan actions in advance for every possible scenario. But I think the team and I share the same views on this situation, and I respect the decisions the team makes because I know everyone is trying to make those decisions as correct as possible.

      The most important thing for me is this: in Monza I didn't deserve second place, I deserved to finish third, and that was related to my pace. At certain moments I was quick, but over the course of the weekend I simply wasn't quick enough. That's the main lesson for me, and it's what I intend to focus on in the remaining races.

      Speaking of the Baku City Circuit, it's a unique track that has very slow corners and long straights, and there are no run-off areas. Although there are run-off areas, to get back onto the track from them you have to turn the car around. On the one hand, it's a perfectly normal street circuit; on the other hand, braking is much more intense here. You need to build up pace gradually because the level of grip increases over the course of the weekend.

      Unlike other street circuits, it's very important here to pay maximum attention to braking, because by doing so you can either gain a lot of time or lose it, and there's also a risk of damaging parts of the car."