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Oscar Piastri was relieved to end his rookie F1 season by avoiding “something crazy” in Abu Dhabi following a wretched run of collisions.
After starting from third on the grid at the Yas Marina Circuit, McLaren driver Piastri had to settle for sixth by the chequered flag as he struggled for race pace, but at least, in his own words, “it was nice to have a clean race”.
The 22-year-old’s comment was understandable given the fact that in the last four grands prix he was involved in an on-track incident.
In the race in the United States, Piastri and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon came together on lap one, resulting in the MCL60 sustaining radiator damage which forced him to retire after 10 laps.
The following weekend in Mexico, Piastri and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda collided at Turn 1 midway through the race, with the Australian going on to finish eighth.
Worse followed seven days later in Brazil where Piastri was hit by debris following a major first-corner shunt involving Kevin Magnussen in his Haas and Williams’ Alex Albon. Despite a red flag and a restart, the Australian found himself a lap down and ended up 14th.
During the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, Piastri and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton clashed, forcing both into a pit stop after sustaining punctures, with the former finishing 10th.
“It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve had a race without contact or something crazy going on,” reflected Piastri.
“The race was maybe not as strong as we would have liked as a team. I think my first and second stints weren’t my best of the year, but I think the final stint looked quite strong, so it was nice to end on a decent note.
“We had hoped for a bit more pace but we know our car is still weak in a few areas, and this track definitely exposed that in places.”
In many respects, the Abu Dhabi weekend encapsulated Piastri’s season as he was impressive in qualifying, was relatively strong in the grand prix, although lacked pace compared to team-mate Lando Norris.
Piastri made way for Norris early in the 58-lap race, recognising the Briton was quicker and in with a better chance of overtaking second-placed Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari, although he only finished fifth by the conclusion.
“The races have definitely been the area of focus for the whole year,” said Piastri. “The last stint, things were starting to click a lot more and the pace generally was much better.
“I was pretty happy with the end of the race but some things to still work on. These tyres are not easy, this car is not easy in certain conditions. It’s always a bit of a new experience in every grand prix.
“Hopefully next year, now I’ve been to all the circuits in this car, I know a bit more of what to expect. I feel like I’ve left every race knowing a lot more than I did at the start.
“Hopefully that can be a bit stronger next year.”
