Oscar Piastri's Austin Calamity: A Fresh Start for McLaren
The Australian driver, Oscar Piastri, has revealed that McLaren has wiped the slate clean after the chaotic United States Grand Prix. Piastri, who triggered the first corner crash, taking himself and Lando Norris out of the sprint, has accepted his part in the incident.
The crash resulted in terminal damage for both MCL39s, while Max Verstappen, Piastri's F1 drivers' championship rival, won the one-third distance race in Austin, further extending his lead in the championship.
With five rounds to go, Piastri still leads the title fight, but his advantage has significantly diminished in recent weeks. Poor form has plagued the 24-year-old, who now holds a slender 14-point lead over Norris in the standings.
However, the most concerning aspect for Piastri is the drastically reduced gap to Verstappen in third place. The Dutchman has narrowed his deficit from 104 points to just 40 in only four rounds, and he undeniably has the momentum on his side.
Ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, Piastri has announced that there will be no repercussions for either him or his teammate, Norris. Initially, Norris was handed a sanction by the Woking-based squad for his approach to the start in Singapore, the round before the trip to the Circuit of the Americas.
In the official FIA press conference at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Piastri stated, 'We go through every weekend, regardless of what's happened. I think there is a degree of responsibility from my side in the sprint. And we're starting this weekend with a clean slate for both of us.'
When explicitly asked if Norris' consequences from Singapore have been removed and whether his aggressive cutback in Turn 1 during the sprint at COTA was deemed to have crossed a line, Piastri confirmed, 'Yes, the consequences on Lando's side have been removed. And yes, ultimately, it was that. There's a lot of factors involved, but ultimately, yes, that's what's been decided.'
