McLaren has locked out the front row for the 2025 Formula One season opener in Melbourne, with Oscar Piastri securing P2 behind teammate Lando Norris.

Reflecting on qualifying, Piastri was pleased with his lap but acknowledged the fine margins that separated him form Pole Position.

“I was pretty happy with it,” Piastri said. “This weekend, I’ve been pretty happy with the laps I’ve been putting in and how we’ve been executing them.

“The last lap – nothing I’m majorly kicking myself about, I think the gap is very tight obviously, just needed that little bit more.”

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s race, Piastri is optimistic about McLaren’s pace in both dry and wet conditions.

“Yesterday felt quite good. If it’s dry I think we’re in a good place. If it’s wet it’s very difficult to tell.

“There is a lot of placed that can catch you out here. There’s a few corners that in the dry are not corners, that are very much corners in the rain. It becomes a fair bit trickier and then you have the white lines everywhere.”

The Melbourne crowd has been out in force for their homegrown star, with countless OP shirts in the stands. Piastri is feeling the energy more than ever.

“This is the most relaxed I’ve been at my home race,” he admitted.

“The first year was pretty overwhelming, last year was still big, but this year I’ve been able to enjoy it a bit more. Maybe because of being a bit more confident in the car under me, maybe that’s why. But I’ve been enjoying the support and I feel like the support has gone up a little bit since last year. It’s amazing what happens when you start winning.”

With McLaren’s first front-row lockout since 2012, Piastri will be aiming for a dream result in front of his home fans tomorrow.