Piastri Reflects on Qatar Setback, Calls It Painful Loss

Oscar Piastri expressed that his second-place finish at the Qatar Grand Prix on November 26 hurt more than his disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix the previous week. The Australian driver for McLaren had secured pole position after dominating the Saturday sprint but faced a setback due to a strategic error by his team during the race at Lusail.

McLaren’s decision not to pit when the safety car was deployed on lap seven left Piastri and his teammate, Lando Norris, at a disadvantage. Most teams took advantage of the situation to make a quick pit stop, while McLaren opted to stay out. This miscalculation allowed Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing, who had already pitted, to overtake Piastri and ultimately secure the victory. Piastri’s misfortune dropped him from second to third place in the Formula One championship standings.

Reflecting on the race, Piastri stated, “We didn’t get it right with the strategy. The pace was very strong. I didn’t put a foot wrong. Just a shame.” The young driver conveyed his disappointment over the team radio, admitting he was left “speechless” after the race concluded.

With one race remaining in the season, Piastri trails his teammate, Norris, by 16 points in the championship standings. Norris finished fourth in Qatar, while Verstappen is now in second place, just 12 points behind the leader. Piastri remarked on his personal feelings about the race, saying, “I think on a personal level, I feel like I’ve lost a win today. You know, in Vegas, I lost a P4. Obviously for the team, it was a pretty painful weekend. But yeah, I think for me personally this probably hurts more.”

Despite the setback, Piastri maintained a positive outlook, stating, “It’s certainly not a catastrophe. I think we made a wrong decision today. I think that’s clear. But it’s not like the world ended.” He acknowledged that while it hurt in the moment, time would help him process the experience.

Piastri has had an impressive season, winning seven races, and was previously 34 points ahead of Norris before his performance dropped off dramatically after his last victory at Zandvoort in late August. His return to the podium in Qatar marked a significant moment, as it was his first podium finish in seven races.

“I feel like you always become stronger through some of these moments,” he noted. “But it all depends on how you deal with it. So I’m sure we’ll get through it. But yeah, obviously at the moment it does hurt.”

As the season draws to a close, Piastri still has the opportunity to become the first Australian champion since Alan Jones in 1980. With the final race set to take place in Abu Dhabi next weekend, he remains focused on finishing the season strong, despite the recent disappointments.