Motor racing-F1 leader Piastri stays positive amid damage limitation talk

Formula One F1 - Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada - June 13, 2025 McLaren's Oscar Piastri during practice REUTERS/Mathieu Belanger
MONTREAL (Reuters) -Formula One leader Oscar Piastri stayed hopeful after a qualifying session that had McLaren boss Andrea Stella talking of damage limitation in Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.
The Australian will start from third on the grid with teammate Lando Norris, 10 points behind in the standings after nine of 24 races, back in seventh.
Mercedes' George Russell took pole position and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, winner for the past three years, joined him on the front row in a repeat of 2024's qualifying top two at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
"Our pace on race days is generally where we're strong," Piastri, winner of five races this season and bidding to become the first Australian to take six in a single campaign, told a news conference.
"These two next to me were very quick in the race runs yesterday, so it's certainly not going to be a slam dunk win, but I think we're definitely in the fight."
The session, a gift for those talking up bad blood between Russell and Verstappen after a headline clash in Spain between the pair, left McLaren off the pace for once in a scrappy session.
It was the first time Mercedes had taken pole this season.
"The picture changes completely for the race, that's what we have to focus on," Stella told Sky Sports television.
"I think in terms of race pace we should be a bit more comfortable but let's see. This weekend could be one of damage limitation."
Norris will certainly have a battle on his hands to get onto the podium.
"(I made) a couple of big mistakes, one hitting the wall on the last lap on the exit of turn seven and also the first lap at the final corner. Mistakes that cost me," he said.
"We have not been as quick as usual, and it was maybe not the car to take pole position, but it should have been enough for the top three.
"It is a very easy track to push 1% too much, and pay the price, and that's what happened today. A podium will be tough because we don't have the pace we have had of the past few races."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

New Straits Times

2 hours ago

• New Straits Times

Jeeno extends lead at Women's PGA Championship

LOS ANGELES: Jeeno Thitikul closed with back-to-back birdies in a two-under par 70 on Friday to stretch her lead to three strokes as sweltering heat and high winds again tested golfers at the Women's PGA Championship in Texas. Jeeno, the world number two from Thailand, started the day with a one-shot lead over Australia's Minjee Lee at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco north of Dallas. She teed off on the 10th hole and after a bogey at 12 was back in control with birdies at the 15th and third. She gave a stroke back at the par-three fourth, where she missed the green, but rolled in a 12-foot birdie at the eighth and a four-footer at the ninth to finish 36 holes on six-under 138. "The wind and the rough," the 22-year-old said of the toughest challenges on a day when only 14 players broke par. The 22-year-old, who has won already this year on both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour, is chasing her first major title. She was three strokes clear of Australian Minjee Lee and Japan's Rio Takeda. Jeeno said she actually played better than she had in posting a 68 on Thursday. "I had better tee shots than yesterday and put myself in the positions that I have a chance," she said. "If not, I just tried to make par. I think par, it's a really big key here – no birdies but 18 pars, you take it." Lee, who started the day one adrift, had three birdies and three bogeys in her even par 72. Takeda teed off on 10 and had all four of her birdies on her second nine: three in a row at the fourth, fifth and sixth and an up and down from a bunker at the ninth in a one-under 71. Lee also said the wind was a key factor, making club selection difficult. "It just felt like it was so much more magnified," Lee said. "Yesterday the ball, I mean, if it was a left-to-right wind and I hit a little bit of a draw it didn't really touch it as much as, like, today I hit a draw and it still went left to right. "I just tried to stay patient out there," she added. "It was really windy and quite hard to even hold the greens on some of them." Only seven players finished the day under par for the tournament. US veteran Lexi Thompson was alone in fourth after a 70 for two-under 142 with South Korean Lee So-mi, Japan's Chisato Iwai and American Auston Kim sharing fifth on one-under 143. Thompson, an 11-time LPGA winner who is playing a limited schedule this year, was among the earliest starters and had three birdies before a bogey at 18 in her two-under 70. "(It) got pretty windy even for the morning," Thompson said. "It was blowing more than it did yesterday, so I knew I just had to commit to my lines out there. "It's a tough golf course, especially when the wind blows. If you miss the fairways you just have to take your medicine, pitch out, and try to save par any way you can, make the worst score a bogey." World number one Nelly Korda carded a two-over 74, finally mustering two birdies in her last three holes to finish the day eight strokes off the lead.

The Star

3 hours ago

• The Star

Cricket-Teenager Konstas not out to prove himself ahead of West Indies return

FILE PHOTO: Cricket - 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final - South Africa v Australia - Lord's Cricket Ground, London, Britain - June 13, 2025 Australia's Sam Konstas drops a catch Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo (Reuters) -Teenage batter Sam Konstas has vowed to take a more conventional approach than in his early test appearances for Australia after earning a recall to the team that will face the West Indies in the two nations' first test in Bridgetown from Wednesday. The 19-year-old has been drafted into the side to replace opener Marnus Labuschagne, having made headlines with his outlandish shot selection and rapid scoring during his debut against India in Melbourne in the Boxing Day test. "I still can't believe it," Konstas told Australian media when asked about his swashbuckling introduction to test cricket. "I don't know what was going through my mind at that time. I thought it was right in the moment. It was good fun. "The emotions probably got to me with the crowd. It was good reflecting and having a bit of time off, trying to strengthen my game. Hopefully we get to win the next test match. "I feel like I trust people that I work with and they understand my game. I'm not trying to prove to anyone how I'm going to play. I just want to be myself and obviously understand when to take the game on." Konstas hit 60 runs in his debut innings and kept his place for the following test in Sydney as the Australians wrapped up a 3-1 series win over Virat Kohli and company. He was included in the squad that travelled for a two-test series against Sri Lanka later in January, but was not selected for either match. Konstas has earned a recall for the three-test series in the Caribbean due to Labuschagne's struggles with the bat, while Josh Inglis has also been recalled as a result of a finger injury sustained by Steve Smith. "Obviously, it's a tough team to crack and (they have) got legends of the game in that team," Konstas said. "Very excited for the opportunity, and hopefully I can grab it with both hands. "I've been training really hard and I understand the reasons why they picked (other players in recent tests). "I'm just trying to be in the present moment, trying to focus on a few key areas with my batting coach, and feel like I've come a long way. Hopefully, I can display that in the next few test matches. "It's a dream come true, to be honest. Nineteen years old, playing for your country, travelling the world, getting to experience different cultures and against the best players as well. I'm lucky to be where I am." (Reporting by Michael Church; Editing by Tom Hogue)

The Sun

6 hours ago

• The Sun

Brad Pitt Drives Real McLaren F1 Car at Austin Circuit

BRAD Pitt, whose new F1 movie is out next week, has now driven a Formula One car for real after testing a McLaren at Austin's Circuit of the Americas. The reigning world champions confirmed the Hollywood A lister drove a 2023 McLaren MCL60 car at the Texas track on Thursday. Media reports said the British-based team had been carrying out a private test with F1 regular Lando Norris and F2 driver Alex Dunne. It was the first time 61-year-old Pitt, who plays the fictional racing driver Sonny Hayes in the Apple Originals movie, had driven a real Formula One car on track. The cars used in the making of the film were Formula Two cars, modified by Mercedes to look like real grand prix racers. Champions McLaren had teased the drive on Thursday with a social media post of overalls with the initials BP and the caption 'It's a Sonny day in Austin'. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, a co-producer of the movie, said in March that Pitt had shown real speed while testing the F2 cars. 'Watching Brad drive around at speeds over 180 miles an hour was really impressive to see because it's not something you can just learn overnight,' he said. 'The dedication and the focus that Brad put into this process has been amazing to witness.'