Piastri’s season started in horror fashion when he crashed at Turn 4 on a reconnaissance lap to the grid, putting him out of his home race before it had even begun.
The crash was essentially’s Piastri’s fault, with a combination of cold tyres, use of the exit kerb and the way the new-for-2026 power units deliver their electrical energy contributing to the error.
Stella, who explained that the 100kW power spike experienced at the time of the crash is a function of the ruleset, backed the 24-year-old Australian to rebound quickly.
“Very unfortunate, definitely a tough moment for him in front of the Australian crowd,” said Stella
“But Oscar, a very tough guy mentally, he will use all this to get even more concentrated and determined, starting from China.
“We will make sure we face this in a united way. We are a team in any situation that may involve anybody in our team.”
Piastri said the fact the 100kW spike was not a malfunction and just a quirk of the new cars made it particularly hard to take.
Drivers have widely criticised the 2026 regulations, which place increased emphasis on electrical energy.
Piastri said during the race that he was “just trying to learn as much as I can” while watching from the sidelines.
It’s the second year in a row that the Australian has had to bounce back from a major disappointment in the Melbourne opener.
Last year he was running second to Lando Norris when both McLarens speared off the road at Turn 12 amid a rain shower.
While Norris recovered to win the race, Piastri lost considerable time stuck on the wet grass and eventually finished ninth.
“Last year the result wasn’t what I wanted but there was a lot of positives from the weekend,” Piastri reflected on Sunday.
“This year the disappointment is even greater but I think up until today, we did a lot of things well.
“We clearly identified some things we need to change and do a better job at.
“But through practice and qualifying felt, I pretty comfortable, as well as you can with these cars, and felt I was building myself in nicely.
“That element is not dissimilar to last year, so I’ll just try and take the learnings.”
Reigning world champion Norris finished fifth on Sunday, almost a minute behind winner George Russell, who led a Mercedes 1-2.
The McLaren had proven the fourth fastest car in qualifying, a far cry from the dominant position it held for much of 2025.
Piastri qualified fifth on Saturday, one place ahead of Norris, having also led the team’s charge in all three practice sessions.
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