Piastri: Improving qualifying the big focus of the off-season

Piastri has been outqualified 21-3 by teammate Lando Norris in 2024, and while the latter has shown some weaknesses in close racing with Max Verstappen, the former has emerged as the better racer.

But Piastri vowed to work on improving his qualifying performance ahead of his third season as an F1 driver with McLaren.

Quoted by Motorsport.com, the Aussie said: "This season I feel like I made good steps forward, there is still room to go.

"The biggest one has been leaving a few too many positions on the table in qualifying," he pointed out. "I don't think I've ever really made life easy on myself in the races in that aspect. So that's the big focus of the off-season, trying to get those last hundredths, last tenths.

"I feel like in all the other areas, I have been able to show what I'm capable of and also show that I have improved," he claimed.

"So again, now it is just putting everything together because the gaps now are very small, or non-existent, so if I can get it all together, then I will be on my way."

Speaking following the season finale, the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he was beaten to pole by Norris, Piastri was quizzed whether he can make the needed changes to become a better qualifier; he responded: "I think so.

"The big thing for me is there have not been many occasions where it has been hard for me to understand where the time has gone.

"After qualifying, I pretty much knew immediately where I had gone wrong. It's not a case of really needing to find that extra step, it's being able to be on top of my game every time.

"I feel like when I have been on it, I have been good enough. That's not to say there's not still room to grow on top of that, but the encouraging thing is the potential has been there.

"So, the next step is realizing that potential every weekend. If I can do that, we are in for a fun season," the 23-year-old concluded.

While Norris finished runner-up behind Verstappen, Piastri was fourth in the 2024 F1 drivers' championship.