Oscar Piastri thinks that he would have had a better result in Las Vegas if he had not had to switch to a new compound. The McLaren driver believes that he could have reached the end of the race on the hard tire.
Many drivers took advantage of the second safety car to make a pit stop, but McLaren decided to leave Piastri out. The Australian managed to fight his way from ninth to third place. Unfortunately for the driver, he still had to make a pit stop, because according to the rules he was still obliged to change to another compound. Piastri finished in P10.
“I think the timing of the safety car was perfect for the guys who stayed on mediums at the start,” Piastri reflected on the safety car situation, according to RaceFans. ‘Just look at Ocon, it worked perfectly for him.’ The Frenchman finished just off the podium in P4.
Piastri thinks that he could have achieved a higher result, even P4, if the rule for the mandatory use of two compounds during a race did not exist. ‘I really wish the rule of using two compounds didn’t exist, because then I would have just gone to the end of the race on the hards. I think we had the pace to stay in P4. So that was a shame. But the speed of the car was a really good surprise.”
Piastri about collision with Hamilton: ‘It was a bit awkward’
Piastri also looks back on the incident with Lewis Hamilton in turn 14. The two drivers collided, and both suffered a flat tire. Piastri immediately pitted for new tires, so he didn’t lose too much time. “It was a bit awkward,” Piastri said. “Neither of us had really forced the turn, and then we both went in at the last minute. I tried to back down, but we ended up meeting in the middle.” The incident had no major consequences for the Australian’s further race.
Ultimately, Piastri managed to grab three points in Las Vegas, thanks to his P10 finish and by setting the fastest race lap. The driver drove a much better race than teammate Lando Norris, who had to end his race early after a hard collision with the barrier. All in all, it was a difficult weekend for the McLaren team, Piastri also agrees. ‘It was a difficult weekend, I think, for everyone involved. Of course the result is not what we had hoped for. But I think given how we looked yesterday, getting two points isn’t the end of the world. And I think the biggest plus was the speed in the car.”
