WATCH: “Thank you Mercedes,” Oscar Piastri takes another dig at Mercedes for their lap one crash while lying on his back at the Qatar GP cool-down room

With a scintillating display of endurance and skill, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, the rising Australian rookie, secured a commendable second place in the grueling Qatar GP. However, the aftermath of this arduous race revealed a physically drained Piastri, who laid on his back on the cool-down room’s floor before the champagne celebrations. 

In what Piastri vividly dubbed the “hardest race of my life,” the Australian found himself grappling with the toll of completing a staggering 57 qualifying laps, owing to the recently implemented tire usage rule. The scorching heat and the stress of the environment compounded the ordeal, turning it into a physically taxing experience for the rookie.

Following the race, a visibly drained yet content Piastri sought solace in the cool-down room, where he laid down on his back alongside fellow podium finishers Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. As the trio relived the race’s highlights, the toll of the physically demanding contest was evident on Piastri, who lay flat on his back. 

As the trio basked in the post-race glory, the TV broadcast replayed the lap one crash involving the Mercedes drivers. It became the topic of discussion, and with a cheeky grin, Oscar remarked, “Thank you, Mercedes.” Piastri started the race in sixth but managed to avoid the lap one chaos ahead of him and zipped past it to secure the second sport. 

Discover: WATCH: “I’m taken out by my own teammate,” Lewis Hamilton crashes out in an incident involving George Russell in Turn One at Qatar GP

Lando Norris claims this was his toughest race ever

Lando Norris, securing the third position, echoed Piastri’s sentiments, labeling the race as “maybe the toughest race ever.” The grueling conditions, encompassing the extensive qualifying laps, blistering heat, and overall fierce competition, collectively contributed to the demanding nature of the event for Piastri and his fellow drivers.

With temperatures soaring beyond 35 degrees Celsius and oppressive humidity hanging in the air, the drivers were battling not just each other but also the elements. They described the race conditions as more arduous than those faced in Singapore. Post-race, all the drivers were seen pouring water not into their parched throats but onto their necks and faces, a ritualistic attempt to cool down in the face of the merciless conditions on the track.

Oscar Piastri’s post-Qatar Grand Prix exhaustion was a direct result of the physically taxing conditions he faced. The abundance of qualifying laps, coupled with the oppressive heat and relentless competition, collectively presented a formidable challenge for Piastri and the entire field of drivers. It was a race that pushed them to the brink, where survival was as much about endurance as it was about skill.

In case you missed it:

• FIA boss explains why they won’t give Max Verstappen the championship trophy before the end of 2023
• “What the hell, two races in a row,” George Russell vents on team radio over clash with Lewis Hamilton on Qatar GP lap one

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