Oscar Piastri blasts Max Verstappen with sarcastic radio comment as the F1 World Champion cops 10-second penalty after making contact with the Aussie driver
Oscar Piastri fell down 17 places during the first 10 seconds of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after he and Max Verstappen made contact on the first corner of the opening lap.
The Formula One World Champion was subsequently handed a 10-second penalty for the infraction, which he branded ‘unlucky’.
But Piastri was less than impressed by Verstappen’s move and was overheard on the radio issuing what appeared to be a sarcastic comment about the Dutch driver.
‘Yep, move of a World Champion that one,’ the 23-year-old McLaren driver said.
When informed by his team that Verstappen had been handed a 10-second penalty, Piastri responded: ‘Good.’
It was a dramatic start to the race, with Verstappen appearing to come up the inside of the Aussie driver, making contact before the pair spun out on the track. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez was ruled out of the race after he was involved in a separate incident.
Max Verstappen was handed a 10-second penalty after appearing to make contact with Ocscar Piastri during the first lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Piastri was spun off the track before he was forced to pit for some new tyres, but his car was not ‘majorly’ damaged
Despite making contact, both drivers were able to continue racing, with Piastri skidding off the track before spinning around to face the wrong direction.
Both drivers were able to continue, with Piastri suffering some minor damage to his front wing. He would later pit but the McLaren mechanics did not replace the part, instead changing his tyres.
‘I mean I was just super unlucky,’ Verstappen said on the radio after his 10-second penalty had been announced.
‘I was all the way up the inside before the crash.’
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, confirmed that there was ‘no major damage’ to Piastri’s car after he had pitted.
‘I think the penalty was appropriate,’ he said to Sky Sports F1.
‘He wasn’t pulling up alongside. Now we’ve got to [focus] on the recovery and Lando’s looking pretty good in front.
Things went from bad to worse for Piastri after he was handed a 10-second penalty by Racing Control after he was involved in a separate incident with Franco Colapinto.
Verstappen had appeared to come up the inside of Piastri, forcing him off the track
Piastri blasted the F1 World Champion with a sarcastic comment over the radio, while Verstappen said he was ‘unlucky’ when reflecting on his 10-second penalty
Martin Brundle, speaking on Sky Sports F1, added: ‘Thinking about that first corner, it was so unfair of Max. He’s not in the Championship.
‘He’s won his Driver’s Championship, to pull such a risky move… I know it’s the first lap of a Grand Prix.
‘There was a bit of a gap. Piastri perhaps, could of… would he have known he [Max] was going to lunge like that?
‘It just wasn’t necessary. And it hasn’t done any good for Verstappen either.’
McLaren had begun the race with a 21-point advantage in the Constructor’s Championship, with Lando Norris and Piastri starting first and second on poll. A first-place finish in the race would have secured the championship for them ahead of Ferrari.
More to follow…
