Piastri discusses very difficult strategic battle with Norris as he secures P2 in F1 Austrian GP

F1 Austrian GP Piastri chases McLaren teammate Lando Norris for the lead
Oscar Piastri chases Lando Norris as the McLaren duo battle for the lead of the Austrian Grand Prix | Photo Credit: McLaren Racing
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McLaren’s Oscar Piastri breaks down his P2 finish at the F1 Austrian GP following a hard fought battle with teammate Lando Norris.

Oscar Piastri enjoyed a storming start to the F1 Austrian GP, setting up a move on leading teammate Norris. After quickly dispatching Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari at turn 1, the Australian looked set to nab the lead. However an impressive defending move from Norris left him frustrated.

Reflecting on his F1 Austrian GP, Piastri admitted it was difficult to judge the timing of his bid for the lead. While he felt he took advantage of his opportunity on lap 11, he claimed it was difficult to judge in the heat of the battle.

“I thought it was [my best opportunity],” Piastri told Sky F1 following the Austrian Grand Prix. “With the DRS here it’s very difficult to know when to go and when not to go. I felt the best opportunity for me was into turn 3.

“Maybe I should have waited one more straight into turn 4, but [it’s] very difficult to know in the moment. I tried my best and that’s all I can ask for.”

Reflecting on the Grand Prix as a whole, Piastri highlighted the positives. Having failed to extract maximum pace from his McLaren in qualifying, he kept with his teammate throughout the opening stint. A late race charge saw Piastri once again close up and pressure his teammate albeit with not enough laps remaining.

When asked about his pace, Piastri admitted it was difficult to quantify given the events of the F1 Austrian GP. While he remained positive, he cited dirty air and lapped traffic as variables throughout the Grand Prix. Reflecting on the Austrian GP as a whole, Piastri remained optimistic as he took the positives from the race.

The young Aussie highlighted his final stint, which saw his set repeated fastest laps and allowed him to close back up on his teammate as a key positive from the Grand Prix.

“I think the pace was very strong for me today,” he replied when asked if he believed he was the quickest car. “I don’t know with blue flags, dirty air, DRS and slipstream, slower pit stop. It’s difficult to know what the true pace is.

“I think it was very encouraging. And encouraging that I could claw my way back in a little bit at the end. Even if it’s not a win, there’s a lot of positives from today.”

Piastri was then quizzed about his opinion on the team’s response to his controversial lap 20 move for the lead. Having stuck within Norris’ DRS range throughout the opening stint, the Australian made a daring late move into turn 4.

A small lock up on corner entry saw Piastri come dangerously close to making contact with Norris. This move prompted the team to warn against another similar move going forward. Reflecting on the move, Piastri admitted that the team made fair comments given the situation.

“I mean, I think it was a fair comment,” he responded. “I knew that that was a bit risky when it happened. So I think that was fair.”