Oscar Piastri’s aspirations for a third race victory in 2024 were derailed on the opening lap following a collision with reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen.
The Australian managed to finish 10th after being relegated to the back of the grid while his teammate Lando Norris secured the win at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, marking McLaren’s first constructors’ title since 1998.
Piastri, who started second on the grid, was struck by Verstappen at the initial corner of Monday morning’s (AEDT) race.
It seemed Verstappen encountered understeer as he collided with Piastri’s McLaren.
Verstappen, who finished in sixth, received a 10-second penalty for the incident that spoiled Piastri’s race.
“Yep. That was a world champion move,” a disheartened Piastri communicated via team radio.
After the race, Piastri mentioned that Verstappen approached him and expressed regret over the collision.
“I had a pretty tough race,” Piastri told Sky Sports.
“He came over to apologize immediately, and the stewards decided it warranted a penalty, so we look forward to next year.”
Piastri completed the race on the lead lap, becoming just the fourth driver in F1 history to finish every lap of a season.
Only Michael Schumacher (2002), Lewis Hamilton (2019), and Verstappen (2023) have achieved this milestone.
Norris’s victory secured the constructors’ championship for McLaren, outscoring Ferrari by 14 points.
Piastri expressed pride in his team’s triumphs and set his sights on the drivers’ championship for 2025.
“Hopefully, we can start strong next season and aim for a real challenge,” he stated.
Loading…
“I still have areas to enhance and improve, but I believe (this year) has been a solid progression from my rookie season.”
“I’m looking forward to a little break first, then we will go again and strive to compete for both championships.”
Meanwhile, fellow Australian Jack Doohan claimed 15th place on his debut.
The son of motorcycle legend Mick was anticipated to debut in F1 at the season’s start, yet Alpine made a last-minute decision to bring the Aussie into the cockpit for the final race of the year.
Doohan’s teammate Pierre Gasly finished seventh, securing sixth place in the constructors’ championship above Haas and RB.
