Due to a yellow flag, Oscar Piastri had to settle for third place in qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, while teammate Lando Norris secured pole position.
Oscar Piastri believes he missed out on a front-row start after being forced to abort his final flying lap in Q3, following a spin by Pierre Gasly at the final corner that brought out yellow flags.
The Australian was one of two drivers affected—alongside Max Verstappen—by the incident, which occurred just as they were starting their last timed laps.
While Norris completed his final lap and took pole by half a second over Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri could not improve and had to settle for P3.
After the session, the McLaren driver admitted that beating Norris was unlikely given the Briton’s pace this weekend, but felt that a 1-2 finish in qualifying had been within reach before the yellow flag incident.
When asked why he looked so disappointed as he exited his MCL39, Oscar Piastri explained what frustrated him the most: “The issue was not being able to start the final lap. Pierre Gasly spun at the last corner, so I didn’t even begin the second lap,” said the Australian – “Lando has been very fast all weekend, so beating him would’ve been tough. But I think we had enough pace to be on the front row,” he added. “It’s always frustrating not to even get the chance. But we can still have a strong race from there. Sometimes it’s just not your day.”
Asked whether he believed there were good chances to gain positions in the race—especially given the overtaking opportunities at the Red Bull Ring—Piastri was optimistic.
“Yes, definitely. I think our pace this weekend has looked really strong,” he said. “Ferrari’s pace was also good, which was a bit of a surprise. But I think tomorrow we’ll still have some opportunities. I have no intention of finishing third, that’s for sure.”
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