Piastri shared a similar assessment as he took fourth in the other McLaren, which nonetheless ensures that both papaya cars start ahead of the Ferraris in their quest for the constructors’ title.

Asked to reflect on his session, and whether he sustained any damage in a Q1 off-track moment, the Australian said: “Not 100% sure. I haven’t heard either way. Honestly, I was happy with my qualifying. I think Q3 went well. There wasn’t really much left in it at all, certainly not enough to get to pole, or even second.”

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As for the constructors’ situation, with McLaren leading Ferrari by 30 points, he commented: “Yeah, of course it’s important to stay ahead [in the race]. While we’re probably disappointed with third and fourth, we are still ahead of Ferrari.

“We at least have that and hopefully we can score some good points tomorrow. It would be perfect if we could seal the deal tomorrow, but we’ll focus on ourselves and see where we end up at the end of the race.”