Piastri 'confident' after strong Imola qualifying but penalty looms

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri is brimming with confidence ahead of Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix after qualifying second behind Max Verstappen in Saturday’s shootout.

However, the Australian driver’s spot on the front row of the grid is under threat due to an investigation into potentially impeding Haas’ Kevin Magnussen during Q1.

McLaren has thrown everything at this weekend’s race, equipping both cars with their full upgrade package. Piastri clearly put those developments to good use, edging out teammate Lando Norris by 0.017s in Q3.

Qualifying wasn't a one-off for Piastri, having been at the forefront of the battle for the top spot from the outset of the session along with Verstappen, showcasing the MCL38’s strong pace at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

However, his first hot lap in Q3 was three-tenths down on Verstappen, with Norris holding at that point the provisional runner-up spot.

Read also:

• Imola GP: Verstappen safely on pole from Piastri and Norris

But the Aussie upped the pace and delivered a stellar final flyer, pulling ahead of his teammate and falling just 0.074s short of Verstappen and pole.

"It was pretty good, I had a little bit of a scruffy last corner but I think around here it's so difficult to do a perfect lap," he said.

"So I am really happy. I've been really comfortable with the car from the moment we put it on track yesterday and I was so, so close to pole but I'm very happy.

"It's been a little while since I've been back up here so, I'm very happy with how this weekend's going so far."

Despite the potential grid penalty hanging over his head, Piastri believes McLaren is in a strong position to challenge Verstappen on Sunday.

"In the past, we would have said no, but with recent performances, we've learned to say yes, so we will see what we can do," he said.

"We've definitely been on the pace all weekend, but you can never count out Max and Red Bull like we've just seen, but the confidence is high.

"Of course, it is not the easiest track to overtake on, but the confidence is high that we can do something good."

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