Oscar Piastri’s Feelings Clear on McLaren Decision That ‘Cost Him’ at Brazil GP
Oscar Piastri has made his feelings clear on a change to his McLaren car that he believes 'cost him' at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
It was another frustrating weekend for the Australian, who arrived in Sao Paulo just one point behind his teammate Lando Norris, but that gap has now extended to 24.
Piastri's weekend got off to the worst possible start in Saturday's sprint race, crashing out on lap seven.
After rain earlier in the day, parts of the track at Interlagos were dry, but there were still slippery sections for the drivers to navigate.
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When Piastri ran over the kerb at turn three, he hit a patch of water and spun, sending his McLaren into the wall.
That section of the track proved particularly treacherous, with both Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto crashing out at the same corner.
Journalist Jon Noble noted a change McLaren were forced to make to Piastri's car following the incident on Saturday.
Speaking on The Race F1 podcast, Noble said: “McLaren had to lift his car into qualifying and for the race, and it took it in a direction which meant less downforce, less grip.
"And Oscar admitted in the pen that he wasn’t a fan of this change because it moved him yet another step onwards from where it was.
“So, these grooves looked innocuous from the outside, but they just had this subtle little impact and increased the tyre degradation on a weekend where the wind had been quite gusty and unpredictable.
"The rain had made the track very green and hadn’t rubbed in, so it was a culmination of a lot of circumstances that just didn’t work for Oscar.”
Sunday's race proved equally difficult for Piastri, as he finished fifth after receiving a 10-second penalty for colliding with the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli.
Piastri locked up into the corner, clipping Antonelli, who then hit the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, taking the Monegasque driver out of the race.
Despite the costly mistake, Piastri said he had no regrets about attempting the move.
"I had a very clear opportunity, I went for it," he told Sky Sports F1.
"The other two on the outside braked quite late.
"There was obviously a bit of a lock-up into the corner but that's because I could see Kimi was not going to give me any space.
"I can't disappear, but the decision is what it is."
McLaren boss Zak Brown also felt the penalty was harsh, but credited Norris for his victories in both the sprint race and Grand Prix.
With just three weekends remaining, Norris has now emerged as the strong favourite to win a maiden world title.
Topics: Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Formula 1, Lando Norris
James Taylor