Oscar Piastri believes he lost all chance of fighting for pole in Hungary after being impeded by Lewis Hamilton during his final attempt in Q3.
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Oscar Piastri did not hide his disappointment after qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Fifth on the provisional grid, the McLaren driver is convinced he could have aimed much higher without the incident that occurred on his final flying lap.
While his teammate Lando Norris secured pole position, the Australian was unable to fully defend his chances during his final attempt in Q3.
Piastri believes that Lewis Hamilton cost him a potentially decisive lap by not leaving him enough space at the first corner.
“He simply wasn’t looking in his mirrors”
Questioned after the session, the McLaren driver did not try to downplay his frustration.
“Lewis simply wasn’t looking in his mirrors.”
Piastri also clarified that Max Verstappen’s spin, which caused a yellow flag in the final moments of Q3, had no impact on his attempt.
“The yellow flag caused by Verstappen didn’t bother me, I had already passed. It’s a shame, because it means I couldn’t complete a proper fast lap.”
The incident involving Hamilton is now under investigation by the stewards, who must determine if the Ferrari driver did indeed impede the Australian.
A McLaren capable of aiming higher
Despite this disappointment, Piastri noted the competitiveness shown by his McLaren throughout the weekend.
“The car was clearly performing well today. I had to fight with it, it wasn’t easy, but there was clearly potential.”
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The Australian acknowledges, however, that the weather conditions complicated the drivers’ work.
“The wind clearly didn’t help. The conditions were very different from yesterday, it was almost like starting from scratch. I felt like I was chasing the right balance all weekend.”
According to him, a few extra sessions would have allowed for a better understanding of the car’s behavior.
“I would have needed a few extra practice sessions to really get on top of things, but we obviously don’t have that opportunity.”
McLaren now awaits the stewards’ decision
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella shares his driver’s frustration. The Italian believes Piastri had the means to fight for the top spots before being slowed down.
“It’s a shame for Oscar to have been impeded at the first corner. He had very good pace and was starting to find a good feeling with today’s conditions.”
Stella particularly regrets that his driver was never able to complete his final attempt.
“It’s a shame we couldn’t see his final lap.”
The McLaren boss now expects a penalty against Hamilton.
“Normally, Lewis should receive a penalty. Generally, this type of incident results in a three-place grid drop, which would allow Oscar to gain a position and start fourth.”
The stewards’ verdict is now awaited to find out if the Hungarian Grand Prix starting grid will indeed be modified.
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