Piastri laments: McLaren strategy robs him of crucial victory in Qatar

Oscar Piastri called the result of the Qatar Grand Prix “painful” after a failed McLaren strategy that cost him a crucial victory before the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Piastri, who dominated Saturday’s sprint race and secured pole position in Qatar, was leading Sunday’s Grand Prix when an early safety car presented an opportunity to make one of the two mandatory pit stops with minimal time loss. The Australian driver, still in contention for the title, saw his chances reduced after finishing in second place, behind Max Verstappen. Currently, he is 16 points behind his McLaren teammate and championship leader, Lando Norris, while Verstappen is only 12 points behind Norris.

McLaren was the only team that didn’t pit under the safety car, which meant that both Piastri and Norris found themselves at a disadvantage against Verstappen for the rest of the race.

Very high. And I think that says a lot, given the last races I’ve had.

Oscar Piastri

When asked about his level of frustration with Sunday’s result, Piastri stated: “Very high. And I think that says a lot, given the last races I’ve had.” “Yes, it’s clear we didn’t do well today, which is a shame, because the whole weekend went very, very well. We had a lot of pace.” “I felt like I drove well. So yeah, it’s pretty painful.”

This missed opportunity comes just a week after Piastri and Norris were disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix for a technical infringement, but the Australian affirmed that losing the victory in Qatar hurt more.

I think on a personal level, I feel like I lost a victory today. In Las Vegas, I lost a P4.

Oscar Piastri

“Obviously, for the team, it’s a pretty painful weekend. But yes, I think yes, for me personally, this probably hurts more.” Piastri revealed that he questioned the team about whether he should pit under the safety car, but ultimately had to trust McLaren’s pit wall decision. “I asked what we were doing, because we were approaching the pit entry and I hadn’t received a call yet,” he said. “I think when you don’t get a call instantly when the safety car comes out, there are probably some discussions about what to do.” “In that situation, you have to trust the team, because they have much more information than the driver in the car and where the gaps are and those things. So yes, in that scenario, I have to trust what the team decides.”