F1: Oscar Piastri takes sprint pole but wary of team orders for Norris

Formula One F1 – Sao Paulo Grand Prix – Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Sao Paulo, Brazil – November 1, 2024 McLaren’s Oscar Piastri during sprint qualifying. –POOL VIA REUTERS/Sebastiao Moreira

Oscar Piastri grabbed pole position on Friday for the sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix and said he will race to win but conceded that teammate Lando Norris has a greater need of points.

The McLaren duo, boosted by an updated rear wing, locked out the front row of the grid to raise the possibility that team orders to help Norris’s title bid may come into use.

Speaking after Friday’s sprint qualifying session at Interlagos, the modest Australian driver said he wanted to win Saturday’s race, adding that anything might happen.

READ: F1: Oscar Piastri wins in Baku, McLaren overtakes Red Bull

“I think first and second is the first objective and then we’ll see what order it is. I know that I’m not in the running for the drivers’ standings, for the team it doesn’t matter which way round we are, so I know that’s the case and we’ll see,” said Piastri.

“I’ve said I would (relinquish a victory) from when we first had these discussions.

“Lando needs the points in the drivers’ standings a lot more than I do, but of course I still want to win. If I put in the effort and show good pace I’m sure that won’t go unnoticed, but we’ll see.”

READ: F1: Oscar Piastri defends McLaren over rear-wing flex

It was not a clear hint at the likelihood of team orders, but a realization that if the McLaren duo, who exploited a performance boost given them by a new “scoop” rear wing, are running first and second in the final lap it may happen.

Noris is 47 points behind three-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull in the title race with four race weekends left this season.

Piastri said also that the newly-resurfaced track was so bumpy it created problems for the drivers.

READ: F1: McLaren set to favor Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri

“It was a tricky session,” he said. “I felt pretty comfortable at the start and the grip was really coming up a lot during the session.

“But with the track this year being so bumpy, it’s hard enough to see where you’re going, let alone try to do a fast lap. It’s challenging out there, but I’m so happy to qualify on pole for the sprint.”

 ‘Sick of the questions’

Formula One F1 – Sao Paulo Grand Prix – Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Sao Paulo, Brazil – October 31, 2024 McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen during the press conference. –REUTERS/Carla Carniel

It was Piastri’s second career sprint pole, but he is yet to claim a pole for a Grand Prix.

Norris said he was surprised at the speed of his car.

“I was surprised at how quick we were today – but a pleasant one, of course,” he said.

“I made some mistakes on my final lap so just boxed, but it was a good job as a team.

“Like I said, I wasn’t expecting it, so it’s a pleasant surprise. I just made too many mistakes on my final lap to get pole.”

He rebuffed opportunities to discuss his prospects of closing in on Verstappen in the title race with success in the sprint.

“I hate these questions so much,” he said. “I don’t care where he qualifies.

“For me it’s just focus on my own job and that’s it. It’s the same questions every time, but it doesn’t matter to me if he starts first or if he is last. I’ll just do the best I can.”

Verstappen, who will face a five-place grid penalty in Sunday’s Grand Prix after taking another new engine, his sixth this year, qualified fourth behind the McLaren duo and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

That put him ahead of Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari, Mercedes’ George Russell, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson of RB.

“Our car is a bit difficult on the bumps,” said the Dutchman. “They did a resurfacing, but they’ve made it worse to drive. It’s extremely bumpy everywhere.

“And that’s not good for our car. In the bumpy areas, the car is jumping around a lot and it’s unfortunately costing me quite a bit of lap time.”

Alex Albon was ninth for Williams ahead of the impressive Oliver Bearman, the British teenager driving for Haas in place of Kevin Magnussen, who was ill.