Ice Boy? No thanks, says polesitter Piastri
BARCELONA : Oscar Piastri has acquired a reputation for keeping cool under pressure, and even after winning, but just don't call him "Ice Boy".
The Australian, leading the Formula One championship for dominant McLaren, was offered the nickname after taking pole position with a mighty lap in the heat of qualifying for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.
A reporter suggested Piastri could be the progeny of Finnish "Iceman" Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion for Ferrari, such was his nonchalant attitude.
"I'm not sure I want to go under the name 'Ice Boy'," replied the Australian, raising a laugh from others in the room.
"I think the emotions are different each time. Certainly, there's been qualifyings and races where it's not been nonchalant and there's been a lot of emotion behind them.
"But then there's others where you go out and you know that if you do a good enough job, you can achieve the result you want.
"Don't get me wrong, it's incredibly satisfying, but I think I'm just not a particularly emotional person. That's just how I am, really."
Piastri added that he could have his emotional moments but he also knew that Saturday was only part of the job done and the real celebrating could wait until after Sunday's race.
The 24-year-old, born in Melbourne and schooled in England, has won four of the eight races this season and Saturday was his fourth pole of the campaign.
He is three points clear of teammate Lando Norris, who won from pole in Monaco last Sunday to close the gap, but has shown no sign of feeling the pressure.
"It's a nice thing to have, starting on pole, but it's not the end of the weekend. The points are tomorrow. After the races, it depends a bit on the race," said Piastri.
"If you've had a battle with someone the whole race and then you win, then yeah, you're pretty pumped up. But if you've got a bit of a gap, then you kind of know with a few laps to go that it's going to go your way, and then it doesn't spill over so much."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
McLaren still flying despite Formula One's flexi-wing changes
McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri (right) and Lando Norris (left) are sprayed with champagne while posing for a team photo after the Spanish Grand Prix. PHOTO: AFP The Spanish GP, ninth round of the Formula 1 World Championship was, according to some people in the paddock who don't wear papaya orange shirts, the race at which McLaren were Going To Be Found Out. When their super-flexible front and rear wings – supposedly the secret of their domination in 2024 and 2025 and their first world championship for Constructors' success since 1998 – were going to be outlawed once and for all. It was going to be the F1 equivalent of Samson's biblical haircut. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Polish conservative Nawrocki leads presidential vote
WARSAW: Eurosceptic Karol Nawrocki established a lead in Sunday's (May 1) presidential election in Poland, late exit polls showed, with the ballot seen as a test of the nation's support for a pro-European course versus Donald Trump-style nationalism. A late exit poll by Ipsos for broadcasters TVN, TVP and Polsat showed Nawrocki at 51 per cent, and Trzaskowski at 49 per cent. Readings published just after voting ended had Nawrocki losing at 49.7 per cent to 50.3 per cent. Official results were due on Monday. Nawrocki, 42, an amateur boxer who ran a national remembrance institute, campaigned on a promise to ensure government economic and social policies favour Poles over other nations, including refugees from neighbouring Ukraine. While Poland's parliament holds most power, the president can veto legislation, and the vote was being watched closely in Ukraine as well as Russia, the United States and across the European Union. Both candidates agreed on the need to spend heavily on defence as Trump, the US president, is demanding from Europe and to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia's three-year-old invasion. Poland is a member of the 32-nation North Atlantic Treaty Organization security alliance. But while Trzaskowski sees Ukraine's future membership of NATO as essential for Poland's security, Nawrocki said recently that if he were president, he would not ratify it because of the danger of the alliance being drawn into war with Moscow. Russia has demanded that NATO not enlarge eastward to include Ukraine and other former Soviet republics as a condition of a peace deal with Kyiv, sources have said. Nawrocki has presented the ballot as a referendum on the broad coalition government of pro-Europe Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the leader of the Civic Coalition (KO) party who took office about 18 months ago. "This will be a good counterweight to the government," said Mateusz Morawiecki, who was prime minister in the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government that lost power in 2023. Although technically an independent, Nawrocki was backed by PiS in the election. Trzaskowski, 53, had promised to help Tusk complete his government's democratic reforms, which they both say aim to repair an erosion of checks and balances under the former PiS government. Trzaskowski's campaign initially proclaimed victory on Sunday and did not immediately comment after poll readings showed a move in Nawrocki's favour. TUMULTUOUS CAMPAIGN The first round of the election on May 18 saw a surge in support for the anti-establishment far-right, suggesting that the KO-PiS duopoly that has dominated Polish politics for a generation may be starting to fracture. Nevertheless, after a tumultuous campaign in which Nawrocki in particular faced a slew of negative media reports about his alleged past conduct, once again, candidates representing the two main parties faced off in the second round. Nawrocki dismissed accusations of wrongdoing in his acquisition of a flat from a pensioner and participation in mass organised fights among football hooligans. Social issues were also at stake in the election. Trzaskowski has said he wanted to see Poland's near-total ban on abortion eased, something that outgoing nationalist President Andrzej Duda strongly opposed. A win by Nawrocki will likely mean that Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban and Slovakia's Robert Fico gain an ally in Central Europe. His victory could lend momentum to the Czech Republic's eurosceptic opposition leader and former Prime Minister Andrej Babis who leads opinion polls ahead of an October election.
CNA
7 hours ago
- CNA
Musetti swings past Rune into French Open quarter-finals
PARIS :Lorenzo Musetti's impressive claycourt season rolled on in style on Sunday when the Italian craftsman downed the talented yet erratic Holger Rune 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-2 to reach the French Open quarter-finals for the first time. World number seven Musetti, who will take on American 15th seed Frances Tiafoe for a place in the last four, adjusted to the Dane's shift to a swashbuckling approach to keep his title hopes alive in a year that has seen him steady his game. For the 10th-seeded Rune, it was yet another failure against a member of the top 10 at a Grand Slam as he was denied a third quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros. "Last night I was dreaming of this match against Holger and I was playing at that level. I need to be very good, and I am really proud of myself tonight," said Musetti. Musetti, who said he has put some order in his game, arrived in Paris having reached at least the semi-finals in all three Masters events this season on clay. He did not disappoint on the Philippe Chatrier court, delighting the crowd with a handful of exquisite shots, notably from his impressive single-handed backhand. "I complain less now, I'm more steady," he said. The 23-year-old made a fast start, breaking in the opening game with a forehand winner before consolidating for a 2-0 lead. The Italian, who came into the match boasting an 11-0 Grand Slam record against players ranked outside the top five, looked sharp early, forcing a break point in the third game before netting a forehand that allowed Rune to steady himself and hold. COMPOSED The opening set remained scrappy, with both players trading breaks as unforced errors piled up on Rune's side of the court. Musetti kept his nose in front, capitalising on Rune's inconsistency to take the first set, with the momentum hinging on whether the Dane could tighten his game. Rune responded well in the second set, adopting a more aggressive approach by charging the net to disrupt Musetti's rhythm. The tactic paid off as the 22-year-old secured a vital break and maintained his composure, sealing the set with a powerful smash to level the match. Errors crept back into Rune's game in the fourth set, allowing Musetti to surge ahead 2-0 as the Italian kept his game tight and composed. Having adjusted to Rune's frequent forays to the net, Musetti began to find his range with a series of precise backhand passing shots. He carved out two break points in the opening game of the third set and converted with a blistering forehand winner, seizing full control of the contest. It was virtually game over when Rune dropped serve again in the fifth game, sending a forehand wide when he had an open court. Musetti wrapped it up on serve with an ace for his first win against Rune in three encounters. Addressing his army of fans in Italian, he said: "To all the Italians who are here in Paris, obviously you've stayed deep into the night, your support was fundamental, it helped me push my limits."
