Oscar Piastri has lambasted McLaren’s decision to start the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix on intermediate tyres, resulting in a miserable afternoon.
McLaren attempted a radical strategy at the start of the F1 Canadian GP, opting to put Piastri and teammate Lando Norris on intermediate tyres.
The track, while not dry, also did not warrant intermediates, forcing both drivers to pit for dry tyres in the opening two laps.
Now back in the midfield, Piastri suffered a disastrous afternoon and finished outside the points after incurring a ten-second time penalty for crashing into Alex Albon.
Speaking after the race. Piastri revealed how the decision quickly unravelled as the formation lap began.
“There was definitely no standing water, but you could clearly tell where it was wet and where it was dry, and getting to the grid was not easy on slicks; getting to full throttle was pretty tough.
“Unfortunately for us, it stopped raining as the formation lap started, basically. Just one of those things where if it had rained a little bit more, we would have looked like heroes, but it didn’t, so we looked like idiots. So just one of those things.”
Oscar Piastri apologises for Alex Albon crash
Apologising for his crash with Albon, Piastri admitted to driver error, describing the incident as “not my finest moment”.
“It was just so, so difficult out there.
“I felt like I was going into the corner pretty carefully, but locked the front, and that was it. It was not my finest moment.
“Apologies to Alex and Williams, because it was unnecessary damage for both of us, especially for them. So just one of those things.”
McLaren and Piastri will need to deep dive urgently as to how a front row and top six start led to no points.
Discussion about this post