‘Alarming’ sign Oscar Piastri’s title hopes are finished
An F1 legend has shared his concern for Oscar Piastri after the Australian had a miserable opening day at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
F1 guru Martin Brundle says Oscar Piastri would be alarmed after a miserable opening day at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Australian had to sit out the opening practice session as McLaren replaced him with reserve driver Pato O’Ward.
It got worse from there as teammate Lando Norris notched the quickest times in both practice sessions on Friday night at the Yas Marina circuit.
Norris has one hand on the championship trophy with a 12-point advantage over Max Verstappen and a 16-point gap on Piastri heading into the final race of the season.
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The Aussie was miles off the pace in the second practice session, finishing 11th on the timesheets — a full 0.68 seconds behind his British teammate.
“You would be a bit alarmed that the pace didn’t come immediately, the back end of the car was sliding around,” Brundle said on Sky Sports.
“It’s recoverable because they know this track so well, they know the car well. But, you will look at the data and go ‘I need a spectacular day tomorrow’.”
Piastri isn’t giving up yet.
“The car’s looked quick. I just need to get some more laps under my belt and find my feet a bit more really, that’s all,” he said.
“So, a few more laps tomorrow and a few more sets of tyres and hopefully we’ll be there.”
Norris still looked far from comfortable as he hopped out of his McLaren at the end of the session.
“It’s been a positive day, but we always know it gets a lot closer going into qualifying so there’s nothing to smile about just yet,” he said.
Qualifying will be the key for the 26-year-old Briton, heading into a race where overtaking is not impossible after layout changes in recent years.
He has the benefit of knowing he won last year’s race from pole.
But he is also aware that anything can happen as last weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix proved when a strategic decision to stay out during a safety car intervention wrecked McLaren’s chances, Piastri being deprived of a likely win and Norris a probable podium.
Verstappen, meanwhile, just wants more speed from his car.
“We just need to be a little bit faster.” he said.
“We’ll just try to put the best car forward and see how much we can find overnight. The race pace and single run need to be better.”
Elsewhere, McLaren supremo Zak Brown confirmed his team will exercise team orders to secure the drivers’ title if it becomes clear during the race that only one remains a contender.
Brown stressed that the team will “use common sense” and abandon their ‘papaya rules’ guaranteeing total equality and freedom to race.
“In the sense of team orders, as long as both drivers have a chance to win the world championship - which they clearly do sitting here right now - then it’s business as usual and they’re free to race,” said Brown.
“Obviously we’ll be practical and realistic. If, as the weekend develops, as the race develops, it becomes clear that one has a significantly better chance than another, then we’re a team that wants to win the drivers’ championship and we will race accordingly to do whatever we can to get whoever that driver is in front to try and win the race.
“Our team orders have been around giving equal opportunity to win the championship, but as the race plays out, if it becomes clear that both can’t, then we’re going to do what’s in the best interest of the team and try and win the drivers’ championship.”
— with AFP
Originally published as ‘Alarming’ sign Oscar Piastri’s title hopes are finished
Piastri won’t throw McLaren under the bus — even if it costs him titles
