Piastri crashes back to earth after Sprint second
Monday, 31 July 2023
A first-corner incident with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz meant Oscar Piastri's Belgian Grand Prix was over before it really started, but the Australian took plenty out of his polished Sprint showing at Spa.
Oscar Piastri experienced the highest and lowest points of his rookie Formula 1® season in 24 hours at the Belgian Grand Prix, the McLaren driver starring in Saturday's Sprint before becoming an early spectator in Sunday's Grand Prix after a first-lap clash with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.
Piastri, who came to Spa-Francorchamps off the back of assured showings at Silverstone (fourth) and the Hungaroring (fifth), was superb on Saturday in difficult conditions, missing out on pole for the Sprint by just 0.011secs to Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen, and then leading the 11-lap dash for four laps before taking second place.
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Hopes were high of a repeat performance in Sunday's 44-lap Grand Prix, but as Piastri arrowed down the inside of Turn 1 from fifth on the grid, he was squeezed into the wall by Sainz, breaking the McLaren's front wing and leaving him unable to return to the pits for repairs.
It was, as Piastri later tweeted, an earlier start to his summer holidays than he was looking for, and said he didn't know where else he could have gone with Sainz coming across his path.
"I've seen the video … it's difficult," Piastri said.
"Obviously Carlos didn't have much space on his outside (but) I also didn't get given that many options. It's a tricky one. I'm sure we'll see if I could have done a few things differently, but just a shame to be out so early.
"He jinked quite hard to the right and locked up, and I had to take a bit of avoidance from that … I either had to stay where I was, or try to commit more and get further alongside. It's always tight into Turn 1 like that, so just disappointing to end at the first corner.
Sainz, who was able to continue with the right side of his Ferrari damaged until retiring on lap 23 from last place, felt Piastri's positioning was "optimistic" and that the accident was avoidable.
"If you want my honest opinion, I think it was a bit optimistic by Oscar, trying to go three side-by-side into one," the Spaniard said.
"If you look at the past seven, eight years, anyone who has tried that move has never really worked and had a bit of a crash when you look at the past races. Maybe a lack of experience, a bit optimistic."
Sunday's early shower only partially dampened Piastri's Spa weekend, as his Saturday performance and poise were hardly surprising for someone with his feeder-series pedigree, but nonetheless impressive on just his 12th F1® weekend. In leading four laps, the 22-year-old became the first F1® rookie to lead a race in over a decade.
"To lead my first laps was a day I won't forget," Piastri said afterwards.
"A very good day … we've still got a little bit of work to do, clearly, to get right to the top, but it's a lot nicer to be up there."
Piastri enters the mid-season break in 11th place in the championship standings with 34 points, 29 of which have come since he received the updates to the MCL60 at the British Grand Prix that have propelled McLaren past Alpine into a comfortable fifth place in the constructors' championship.
Oscar's Belgian Grand Prix by the numbers
- Sprint (11 laps): Started 2nd, finished 2nd
- Race (44 laps): Started 5th, did not finish (accident, lap 1)
- Pit stops/tyres: None (started on medium tyres)
- Fastest lap: N/A
- Points this event: 7
- Points this season: 34 (11th in world championship)
