“I think I needed to be at least a couple of tenths closer, which was going to take a mistake from Lando to achieve that,” said Piastri.

“I felt like that was going to be my best chance. You never want to try and save it for the next lap and then it never comes, so I thought I would at least try. Not quite.”

Piastri found himself behind Norris having made an early first stop after being stuck behind polesitter Charles Leclerc in the opening phase.

Having been unable to undercut the Ferrari driver, Piastri eventually moved ahead after both had made a second pit stop but fell short of repassing Norris on the alternative strategy.

“Yes and no,” said Piastri when asked if he was surprised Norris had opted for a one-stop strategy.

“At that point he didn’t really have much to lose. It wasn’t a huge surprise. I don’t know if trying to undercut Leclerc was the right call in the end, but we can go through it after.”