Oscar Piastri shrugs off responsibility for first lap Brazil GP crash that compromised his race: There was nothing I could have done
Oscar Piastri commented on the first lap crash involving Alex Albon, Kevin Magnussen, Nico Hulkunberg, and Daniel Ricciardo as he claims that he was not to blame for the crash.
Follow Us
Oscar piastri (via imago)
The opening lap of the Sao Paolo Grand Prix witnessed a multi driver collision as Alex Albon, Nico Hulkenberg, and Kevin Magnussen appeared to crash into each other leading to Albon’s and Magnussen’s cars being smashed against the barrier. This collision brought out the red flags as the race was scheduled for a restart.
Oscar Piastri was also hit in the chaotic collision in the run-up to the first corner. Piastri’s McLaren was subsequently damaged and needed mending before lining up for the restart. However, the Australian driver was penalized because of the crash and was handed a lap disadvantage on the restart, which saw Piastri start a whole lap behind the rest of the grid. The 22 year old commented on the opening lap chaos and there was nothing that he could do to avoid the collision.
Piastri commented on how much of a role he had to play in his Brazilian GP tragedy [as reported by racing365news].
I hit the brakes for Turn 1 and then looked in the mirror. I saw someone's tyre flying through the air and thought that it didn't look very good. Sure enough, I got an impact after that, it's a shame. There was nothing I could have done.
The Grand Prix, eventually, saw the McLaren driver finish in a supposedly dismal P14, two laps behind the rest of the grid. This result will stick out like a sore thumb amongst the recent run of successful results for the ‘Papaya army’. It will be interesting to see how close the McLarens can get to Red Bull before the end of the season.
Will Lando Norris replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull?
Despite a turbulent 2023 season with Red Bull, Sergio Perez remains under contract with the team for 2024. Speculation surrounds the Red Bull garage as discussions about a possible replacement driver for Sergio Perez have taken over headlines. The newest driver to be identified as a likely replacement is Lando Norris. Norris, currently, the leading force behind McLaren’s resurgence, could be on Red Bull’s radar for 2025. The young Briton was seen briefly challenging Max Verstappen for the lead at the Sao Paolo Grand Prix, a sight which has rarely been seen in 2023.
Christian Horner, the Team Principal at Red Bull, has already sung Norris’s praises, referring to him as “a great driver – he’s a big talent, big personality, and of course, he’s one of those drivers that you keep an eye on.” According to reports from Total-Motorsport.com, discussions between Perez and Red Bull over their future together are scheduled for December. The team is reportedly interested in retaining Perez for the 2024 season while awaiting the expiration of Norris’s contract with McLaren. While Norris is set to drive for McLaren in 2024, he has not secured a contract for 2025.
Reports have claimed that Red Bull is eager to enter negotiations with the British driver for the 2025 season. The motorsport world will be watching closely to see if Lando Norris decides to exchange his orange leathers for a fresh set of navy blue as the next season approaches. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez risks losing his P2 spot in the driver’s standings to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.
Stay Updated!
Himanshu Chavan
(232 Articles Published)