McLaren’s Oscar Piastri has slammed his observe limits penalty in Austrian Grand Prix qualifying as “embarrassing” for Formulation 1.
Piastri set the third quickest time in qualifying for Sunday’s essential race on the Purple Bull Ring along with his remaining lap in Q3 however misplaced it for operating fractionally too extensive at Flip 6.
That dropped him to seventh within the remaining order, behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who had a fair wider second on the identical spot shortly afterwards earlier than going off spectacularly on the remaining two corners.
“For me, it’s embarrassing,” Piastri instructed Sky Sports activities F1.
“We do all this work for observe limits, put gravel in locations, and I didn’t even go off the observe. I stayed on the observe and [it was] in all probability my finest Flip 6 and it will get deleted.
“I don’t know why they’ve spent tons of of hundreds, if not thousands and thousands, making an attempt to alter the final two corners whenever you nonetheless have corners [where] you may go off.
“However, anyway, everybody else saved it within the observe – I didn’t. That’s the way it goes.”
Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Group, arrives in Parc Ferme after Dash Qualifying
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Photographs
Piastri was referring to the hassle from the FIA and the Purple Bull Ring to resolve the venue’s observe limits downside in 2024.
Each time F1 had visited Austria lately the difficulty got here up because of the massive runoff areas round very quick corners right here and the 2023 occasion led to a farce with the governing physique unable to police round 1200 potential observe limits moments throughout the GP.
However on the spot Piastri went off, the exit of the quick, lengthy left-hander on the finish of the second sector, the white line was moved to imply there’s a 1.8m hole from the kerb to the gravel entice and never the 1.5m width that has proved so efficient on the final two corners, contemplating an F1 automobile’s 2m width.
The drivers are due to this fact nonetheless pushing the entry level for the following Flip 7 exhausting by staying as extensive as potential out of Flip 6, however most going too extensive have had Leclerc-like moments and hit the gravel.
This included Lewis Hamilton in dash qualifying firstly of SQ3, the place the Mercedes driver broken his ground, however not Piastri throughout GP Q3.
Piastri then went on to criticise the scenario a second time when requested to make clear his feedback, along with his McLaren squad understood to have requested the FIA to clarify precisely why the Australian had been deemed to have gone too extensive in what was a really shut second.
“For me, that was in all probability one of the best Flip 6 I took,” Piastri mentioned, as he doubled down on his place.
“I used to be proper to the restrict of the observe, I believe that’s what everybody needs to see.
“Once more, we’ve spent a lot effort making an attempt to do away with these issues… there isn’t any motive this nook must be a difficulty for observe limits.
“Particularly whenever you keep on the observe, like I did. Or, not within the gravel.
“So, yeah, for me clearly being the one one which’s had that occur to me, I’m in all probability extra vocal about it proper now.
“However I believe it’s embarrassing that you simply see us pushing proper to the restrict of what we are able to do and if I’m 1cm extra I’m within the gravel and fully ruined my lap anyway and it will get deleted.”
