Piastri slams 'EMBARRASSING' FIA decision as McLaren launch Austrian GP protest
Piastri slams 'EMBARRASSING' FIA decision as McLaren launch Austrian GP protest
McLaren star Oscar Piastri has branded an FIA decision as 'embarrassing' following qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix.
After a disappointing performance in sprint qualifying on Friday, Piastri had a much better showing on Saturday, finishing P2 in the sprint race early in the day and getting much closer to his team-mate Lando Norris in grand prix qualifying.
F1 HEADLINES: Horner blasted in bitter feud as FIA declare last minute CHANGE for Austrian GP
READ MORE: F1 Qualifying Results: McLaren take fight to Verstappen as 'mighty lap' secures pole
Norris will start Sunday's race in P2, with Max Verstappen having topped the time sheets at the Red Bull Ring just ahead of him to take pole position.
Piastri would have been lining up just behind them in third but for some late drama in Spielberg.
Oscar Piastri slams FIA decision
Piastri was adjudged to have exceeded track limits between turns six and seven, with his papaya car brushing the gravel on the exit. The stewards decided that Piastri had crossed the white line, and the 23-year-old subsequently saw his lap time deleted.
However, TV footage showed that if he had gone over the edge of the track limits, it was by the tightest of margins, and Ted Kravitz later claimed live on Sky Sports that McLaren were set to appeal the decision.
"For me it's embarrassing," Piastri fumed in the media pen after qualifying.
"We did all of this work for track limits, put gravel in places, and I didn't even go off the track. I stayed on the track. It was probably my best turn six and it gets deleted.
"I don't know why they've spent hundreds of thousands trying to change the last two corners when you still have corners you can go off.
"But, anyway, everyone else kept it in the track, I didn't. That's how it goes."
READ MORE: Sky F1 pundit makes 'boring' Verstappen claim amid criticism of Red Bull star
Ahead of the 2024 race, the FIA implemented significant changes to run-off areas around the Red Bull Ring after 2023's race saw over 1200 track limit incidents which meant the final race classification was not issued for hours.
Asked to elaborate on what he meant by 'embarrassing', Piastri continued: "That was probably the best turn six I took. I was right to the limit of the track, I think that's what everyone wants to see,"
"Again, we have spent so much effort trying to get rid of these problems. There is no reason this corner should be an issue for track limits, especially when you stay on the track, like I did, or not on the gravel.
"So, yeah, for me being the only one that has had that happen to me I'm probably more vocal about it right now but I think it's embarrassing that you see us pushing right to the limit of what we can do and one centimetre more I'm in the gravel and completing ruin my lap anyway - and it gets deleted."
McLaren protest rejected
It was confirmed a few hours later that McLaren's appeal had not been successful, meaning Piastri will start Sunday's race from seventh.
When confirming McLaren's protest, team principal Andrea Stella said: "We wanted to look at the evidence whereby the car was beyond the track limits beyond any reasonable doubt.
"I cannot say that the beyond reasonable doubt is satisfied. There are a couple of principles.
"One that the system used needs to have adequate resolution and the second one is the methodology used for one car needs to be applicable to all cars, like if you use a helicopter view for one car it needs to be used for all cars.
"We are normally very supportive of the FIA and recognise everyone is trying their best.
"But in this case we couldn't agree that the car was beyond the track limits beyond any reasonable doubt."
He then added: “There’s a lot to come here, compete, do qualifying laps and when the penalty is so severe like having a lap deleted, we need to make sure the penalty is enforced beyond any reasonable doubt."
READ MORE: F1 Austrian Grand Prix weather forecast - latest today from Spielberg
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Ricciardo could be SACKED before British Grand Prix
- 1 hour ago
Horner brushes aside 'noise' from latest Jos Verstappen feud
- 2 hours ago
Fellow racer calls for Verstappen BAN after Norris collision
- 2 hours ago
Hamilton linked with STUNNING move to buy iconic motorsport team
- 3 hours ago
Horner offers CHEEKY Hamilton replacement suggestion
- Today 18:42
Williams announce driver REPLACEMENT for Silverstone GP
- Today 17:57
- 1
F1 Race Calendar 2024
-
GP BAHRAIN
29 Feb - 2 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP SAUDI ARABIA
7 - 9 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
Carlos Sainz
-
GP JAPAN
5 - 7 Apr
Max Verstappen
-
GP CHINA
19 - 21 Apr
Max Verstappen
-
GP USA
3 - 5 May
Lando Norris
-
GP ITALY
17 - 19 May
Max Verstappen
-
GP MONACO
24 - 26 May
Charles Leclerc
-
GP CANADA
7 - 9 Jun
Max Verstappen
-
GP SPAIN
21 - 23 Jun
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRIA
28 - 30 Jun
George Russell
- GP GREAT BRITAIN 5 - 7 Jul
- GP HUNGARY 19 - 21 Jul
- GP BELGIUM 26 - 28 Jul
- GP NETHERLANDS 23 - 25 Aug
- GP ITALY 30 Aug - 1 Sep
Related news
Why Verstappen's DESPERATE clash with Norris exposes big FIA vulnerability
FIA hit Mercedes with punishment after strange Hamilton incident in Austria
FIA confirm Hamilton investigation after BIZARRE Austrian GP incident
FIA confirm DOUBLE penalty for F1 driver as Austria results given LATE change
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- AWS Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860