Oscar Piastri was on the hunt for a second straight Formula 1 victory at the Belgian Grand Prix. But a crucial mistake at his final pitstop dashed those hopes.
Piastri, aiming to follow up his win in Hungary, was in great form throughout the 44-lap race at Spa-Francorchamps. However, during his last pitstop, he overshot his pit box, causing a critical delay.
This mistake had Piastri’s pit crew scrambling, resulting in a 4.4-second tire change. This extra time meant Piastri faced a tougher challenge catching up to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari and then Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.
The higher tire wear and the lost seconds left Piastri unable to attack Hamilton effectively. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella remarked that the pitstop error was “costly”. Piastri himself quickly apologized over the radio, acknowledging the impact of his mistake.
“He realizes that could have been a bit costly,” Stella said. “Potentially, he would have queued behind Hamilton, but he could have also attacked. The 1.5-2 seconds lost at the pitstop proved relatively costly.” Stella added that better positioning early on could have made overtaking easier.
Despite the error, Piastri showcased strong form, consistently staying ahead of teammate Lando Norris. His ability to maintain speed across different tire compounds throughout the race marked notable progress since starting in F1.
When asked about his performance, Piastri humorously referred to his pitstop blunder saying, “I’m not sure my front jack man agrees, but no, it was a really strong race.” He emphasized the difficulty of passing Leclerc as a pivotal moment in the race.
Piastri’s strong showing, despite the pitstop mishap, highlighted his growing prowess in F1. However, this race underscores the importance of precision during pitstops, as even minor errors can have significant repercussions.
Piastri’s impressive drive at the Belgian Grand Prix is a testament to his talent and potential. However, it also serves as a reminder of how unforgiving Formula 1 can be, where every second counts.
