Oscar Piastri was visibly disappointed after missing out on victory in Monza. The Australian driver had a strong race on Italian soil, even overtaking his teammate right at the start. However, a daring strategy from rival Ferrari forced Piastri to settle for second place.
Piastri had a dream start in Monza, taking the lead from his teammate and polesitter Norris by the end of the first lap. Even after his two pit stops, Piastri stayed ahead of his teammate. Towards the end of the race, Piastri also overtook Sainz, securing second place.
The McLaren driver was clearly upset about missing out on the win. “Yes, it hurts, I won’t lie about that,” a disappointed Piastri admitted immediately after the race. “I did a lot of things right today. However, there were some question marks around our strategy. From the position we were in, a one-stop strategy was too risky. I was very happy with how my race went, but finishing second hurts.”
The Wrong Gamble
Should McLaren have opted for a one-stop strategy like Ferrari? “In hindsight, maybe, but everyone always knows better after the race,” Piastri responds. “Today we simply got it wrong. We could have lost everything, of course, because we started from the front row. Charles (Leclerc) on the other hand could try something different. He made the right gamble. It was painful.”
