Oscar Piastri rues bad luck as McLaren star just misses out on first Formula One victory after Max Verstappen and Lando Norris chaos at Austrian Grand Prix sees George Russell win
- Oscar Piastri finished second in the Austrian Grand Prix
- George Russell benefited from a collision between Norris and Verstappen
- But Piastri could have won if he had not been penalised in qualifying
Oscar Piastri was left wondering ‘what if?’ after the McLaren star ran out of time to win his first Formula 1 Grand Prix.
George Russell was in the right place at the right time when Max Verstappen and Lando Norris collided in a spectacular finale at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday, with Norris forced to retire while the world champion was hit with a 10-second time penalty.
Mercedes star Russell took the lead and Piastri, three seconds behind him in second position but in the faster car, did not have enough time to close the gap with just a few laps to go.
Piastri’s disappointment was trumped when he was given a grid penalty after exceeding track limits during his qualifying run on Saturday. Without that error, he might well have taken the chequered flag.
And the Australian was fully aware that, had luck been on his side, he could have spent his fourth podium finish on the top step.
“A lot of what ifs and maybes,” he said after the race. ‘From yesterday, of course.
“I know this is only my fourth podium in Formula 1 and it hurts a bit to be so close to victory.
‘[I am] I’m happy with another podium, but when it’s so close, it can still hurt a bit.’