McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has apologized to his team, admitting he “pushed the boundaries” during the incident that almost led to a collision with teammate Lando Norris while they were competing for victory at the Austrian Grand Prix.
This occurred just two weeks after the two McLaren cars touched when Norris misjudged a move behind Piastri`s car. In the Austrian race, on lap 20, Piastri attempted an overtake on the inside of Turn 4 but locked his front tires, coming within inches of hitting Norris.
The cars avoided contact as Norris turned into the corner. The Briton managed to maintain the lead and went on to win the race ahead of Piastri, narrowing his teammate`s world championship lead to 15 points.
Shortly after his first pit stop, Piastri received a warning from his race engineer, Tom Stallard: “Feedback from the pit wall, the manoeuvre in Turn Four with the lock up was too marginal. We can`t do that again.”
Following the race, Piastri expressed his apologies over the McLaren team radio, stating: “Sorry for the move in Turn Four. My bad.”
Later, the Australian elaborated on the pit wall`s message: “I thought it was a fair comment. Locking up and just missing the back of your teammate by a small margin is definitely pushing the limits.” He added that he wouldn`t have attempted the move again, even without the warning, deeming it not a wise decision.
Team principal Andrea Stella commented that they needed to give Oscar some advice regarding the Turn 4 maneuver, which Piastri accepted. Stella expressed pride in Oscar for immediately apologizing after the checkered flag, acknowledging that racing hard in Formula 1 is challenging but highlighting it was a good day overall.
Team Proud of Drivers After Close, Tense Duel
The dominant McLaren pair had already engaged in a wheel-to-wheel battle for several corners nine laps earlier. Piastri briefly took the lead into Turn 3, but Norris quickly regained the position before the next corner.
Since the teammates ultimately battled without significant contact, Stella stated the team was “very happy, very proud of how they handled the situation” on track.
He added that these moments are “obviously stressful” but the team trusts and relies on Oscar and Lando. From the pit wall, the goal is to remain calm and analyze the situation rationally. Stella emphasized it was clear both drivers should have the opportunity to win the race, provided they did so in a clean manner as seen that day.
“So it`s a great spectacle for Formula 1. We are happy that we entertain our fans and we look forward to more races like this, even if, yes, it may give us some nervousness on the pit wall. But that`s what we`re here for,” Stella concluded.
Piastri also reflected on the battle, mentioning previous tough fights between them over the past year and before, stating they knew what to expect. He described it as a difficult and close battle, admitting he might have pushed the limits a bit too much once or twice. However, he highlighted that they are fighting for race wins in F1, which requires hard racing. He found the race entertaining, particularly the intense first 20 laps.
Gilbert Pendleton