Oscar Piastri of McLaren and Prince Charles of Monaco after Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco in Monaco on May 26, 2023. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via AP)

Australian driver Oscar Piastri is happy with his second-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix despite it being a “tricky” race.

“The pace at the beginning was incredibly slow,” he said. Early in the race, Piastri made a risky move near the tunnel, commenting, “I had one little half look before the tunnel.” However, he admitted his car “wasn’t small enough to fit into a gap.”

Despite the early struggles, Piastri praised his team: “Thanks to the whole team. Overall, the weekend has been fantastic, and it’s good to finally see a result posted.” He highlighted their consistent performance, stating, “We’ve been very strong for the last few weekends but didn’t really have the results to show for it.” He expressed his joy at the outcome: “What better place to have a podium?”

Piastri also commended his rival, Charles Leclerc, for his excellent performance throughout the weekend. “Charles has been amazing all weekend, and they’ve been fast from the first lap,” he said. Piastri acknowledged that surpassing Leclerc in qualifying would have required an extraordinary effort: “It would have taken something pretty special in quali to outdo him. The chance was right there, but it would have required probably the best lap of my life.”

Concluding, Piastri expressed his satisfaction with his second-place finish: “I’m happy with P2, a good result for the team again and yeah, very, very happy.” This performance underscores his development and determination in his second Formula 1 season, as well as his team’s effectiveness.