DHL FASTEST LAP AWARD

Oscar Piastri has to settle for DHL Fastest Lap after collision in Miami GP

For a long time, the Miami Grand Prix had seemed to be going so well for Oscar Piastri, but ultimately the McLaren driver had to console himself with the DHL Fastest Lap. While team-mate Lando Norris was seizing the opportunity presented by a safety car to record a maiden F1 victory, this same mid-race interruption turned Piastri’s day from memorable to forgettable.

Yet it had all started so exceptionally well for Piastri. He read to perfection a chaotic first corner caused by Sergio Perez’s sharply braking Red Bull to overtake Perez, Norris and Carlos Sainz, who were all busy trying to avoid crashing into each other. Piastri’s strong pace in the early stages subsequently enabled him to take second place from Charles Leclerc on lap four.

He then held his own behind race leader Max Verstappen, never allowing the gap to widen to more than three seconds. It was turning out to be another brilliant performance from the young Australian, who, unlike team-mate Norris, had only received half of the first major McLaren update package in Miami.

“The car felt the best it’s been all year,” said Piastri. “A great day for the team, but a disappointing afternoon on my side. I feel like we did a lot of things right in the first half of the race, but a few things didn’t go our way in the second half.” The safety car that was deployed on lap 29, immediately after Piastri’s one and only pit stop, dropped him back to fourth place. At the restart, he had to fend off an aggressive Carlos Sainz.

At one point, Piastri pushed the Spaniard off the track while defending his position. On lap 39, Sainz drifted into turn 17 and ran over the McLaren front wing. As a result, the Aussie had to stop for repairs. On a set of new Mediums, he returned to the track at the back of the field where a points finish was now out of reach. Despite setting a strong pace – including the DHL Fastest Lap of 1:30.634 – he could only claw his way back to P13 before the checkered flag fell. Consequently, his fastest time did not even earn him the customary bonus point.