Piastri currently leads his teammate and championship rival, Lando Norris, by 10 points in the drivers’ standings, while maintaining a 49-point gap over reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who sits third. Piastri is well-positioned to be a top contender in Canada as well, showcasing remarkable racecraft and composure throughout various points of the season.
“It’s a nice statistic to have. I’d be happier with the statistic of joining them as world champion.
Achieving five wins in just nine races surpasses what I anticipated, even with a highly competitive car,” Piastri remarked on Friday.
“While those statistics are interesting, that’s not my primary focus,” he stated. “I’m here to win even more races and contend for a championship. I believe there are even more exciting statistics to come.”
As for the upcoming weekend, Piastri expects it to be a natural extension of how the season has unfolded thus far, with McLaren winning seven out of the nine races held in 2025. Verstappen secured his two victories in Japan and Imola respectively but has struggled to reach the high standards of previous years due to performance issues with his car.
“Max will likely be competitive again. Last year, this was a very strong race for Mercedes, and I expect them to be fast here again,” he added.
“However, it’s uncertain whether they’ll be matching us or might be a tenth or two behind. Hopefully, they aren’t ahead by a tenth or two, but the exact nature of the competition remains unpredictable.”
“Monaco was a solid race for Ferrari, and the two tracks share some similarities, but we noted that a year ago, and it didn’t turn out well for them.”
Qualifying will be crucial, although Circuit Gilles Villeneuve offers ample overtaking opportunities, as evidenced by 83 passes that took place last year. Piastri qualified fourth on the grid in 2024, with Norris just ahead in third, but the race didn’t go smoothly for the Australian, concluding in fifth place when the checkered flag fell.
“Ironically, the races that were particularly challenging for me last year have turned out to be my best performances this year, while some of the ones I excelled in last year haven’t been as strong,” he observed.
“We’ll see how it goes, but I’m anticipating a good weekend… I’ve felt very comfortable with the car all year, and I’m in a solid position at the moment, so I expect a strong performance.”
