Oscar Piastri acknowledged that his duel with McLaren team-mate Lando Norris during the opening stages of the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix saw him push the limits at times.
He came second at the Red Bull Ring behind the British driver after an enthralling battle between the pair on the first stint.
The Australian driver made quick work of Charles Leclerc at lights out; Norris cutting the Ferrari driver off, paving the way for Piastri to sweep by.
Piastri remarked how crucial it was to make the overtake on Leclerc in front: “It made a big difference – it meant I could stay in DRS from the start,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“DRS is very powerful here. That certainly helped with my battle at the start. That was an important moment of the race.
“It pretty quickly became clear that it was just going to be a fight between us two. That was a key moment.”
After settling into second place, the championship leader turned up the pressure on polesitter Norris, who was constantly checking his mirrors as Piastri hunted him down relentlessly.
The 24-year-old briefly seized the race lead into Turn 3 but went in too deep, allowing the Briton to slip back past at Turn 4.
Before Norris made his pit stop, Piastri launched one final Hail Mary attempt on Lap 20 to gain priority during the stop, nearly running into the back of his team-mate in the process.
“I think we both knew what to expect; it was a tough battle,” he added about the intense fight with Norris.
“Yes, close at some points. Probably pushing the limits a bit much from my side once or twice.
“We’re fighting for race wins in Formula 1. It’s going to be pretty tough work and pretty hard.
“I thought it was an entertaining race. I think after the first stop, maybe we didn’t do the right thing, giving Lando some breathing room.
“The first 20 laps were pretty intense. It was a good battle.”
Team radio critique highlights Piastri’s ‘too marginal’ move amid McLaren title fight
The papaya duo came to blows in Canada, Norris accepting blame and receiving stern talks with his team back at the base in Woking.
Fast forward to Austria, the intense battle drew another sharp response from McLaren, who described Piastri’s move at Turn 4 over the radio as “too marginal”.
When asked about his interpretation of the team’s feedback — and whether he felt his aggression had crossed a line — Piastri was candid in his response.
“Yeah, I thought it was a fair comment. Locking up and missing the back of your team-mate by not a lot is certainly pushing the boundaries,” he explained.
“So, I mean, even if I hadn’t been told anything, I didn’t think it was a wise decision to try that one again.
“So, yeah, a fair comment and yeah, nothing more than that.”
The gap in the Drivers’ Standings between the McLaren team-mates has now narrowed to just 15 points as F1 heads to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix.
With the support of his passionate home crowd, Norris will be eager to build on the momentum from Austria and potentially seize the championship lead.
Meanwhile, Piastri once again demonstrated that he is a fierce competitor, ready to challenge for victories and fight for every point in this McLaren title battle.
READ MORE – Lando Norris resists Oscar Piastri to head McLaren 1-2 in Austria
