Piastri Tops Second Free Practice After DNF in Azerbaijan

After a disappointing performance at the last race in Azerbaijan, the current championship leader, Oscar Piastri, came out on top after the second free practice in Singapore. The McLaren driver drove into a barrier at Baku and had to retire his car on the opening lap. Piastri and his teammate, Lando Norris, are leading the championship and are in an extremely close battle for the title. Today, Piastri bounced back and set the fastest time for the upcoming race weekend.

Piastri has been at the top of the leaderboard for the majority of the season, and the pressure of leading the grid highlights every mistake he makes. At Baku, Piastri’s chaotic race started before it even began. After an error in qualifying where he collided with the wall, the weekend did not get much better for the Australian. He jumped the start before the lights went out and then had to fight the anti-stall breaking system that caused him to drop to the back of the pack just as the race started. 

Piastri managed a strong comeback from his retirement in the last race with 1:30.714 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. He finished just over one-tenth faster than rookie driver Isack Hadjar. He sits at the top of the grid with his fellow championship contenders Norris and four-time world champion Max Verstappen. A win for Piastri would further strengthen his lead in the championship and get him one step closer to his first world championship title.

There is still another practice before qualifying tomorrow, and Piastri’s strong comeback from last to first is the boost he needs to help his title chances. If he maintains this momentum, he will deliver a strong qualifying performance and a successful race weekend in Singapore. “Here, qualifying is a massive part of the weekend. It’s a massive part everywhere, but especially here, it is one of the most important,” Piastri said. As he looks to turn up the speed, Piastri’s performance this weekend will be a testament to his resilience and determination to come back stronger. He will look for his redemption narrative from DNF to a podium finisher in Singapore to regain the dominance he had the whole season.

Kelsea Wilson

Kelsea Wilson is a junior at Indiana University majoring in Sports Media with a minor in Sports Marketing & Management. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in sports media and marketing for a professional sports organization.

Previous
Previous

Could a 2019 NBA Champion Forward Have a Career Year with the Knicks?

Next
Next

Do the Chiefs Have a True WR1?