In a race with three mandatory tyre changes following Pirelli reliability concerns, drivers were able to push hard in each of their four stints rather than having to conserve their rubber for longer.
Behind winner Max Verstappen, Piastri clinched his second consecutive podium, picking up where he left off after winning Saturday's sprint in what he described as a gruelling race of 57 qualifying laps.
"Definitely the hardest race I've had in my life," Piastri said. "With the three stops, it was basically flat out, so it was 57 qualifying laps which I definitely feel like I've done.
"A really good race, happy that all tyres stayed together."
Piastri started from sixth after seeing his best qualifying lap deleted on Friday, but at the start he received a massive boost when Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and George Russell collided.
A spinning Russell hindered Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc, allowing the Australian to slip through into second on the inside.
Over the next 56 laps he again proved it was where the McLarens deserved to be on merit. Team-mate Lando Norris, who had lost both his Q3 laps, underlined that point by moving up from 10th to third.
"Turn 1 was nice," Piastri smiled. "That was definitely in the game plan before the race! But yeah, really impressive pace."
Source: Autosport