Oscar Piastri says it’s robust to take the penalty for hitting Kimi Antonelli within the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, after being restricted to fifth place and shedding extra floor within the drivers’ championship.
The stewards gave Piastri a ten second time penalty for inflicting a collision, when he hit Antonelli throughout a three-wide second into Flip 1 after a security automotive restart. Piastri was on the within, with Antonelli within the center after which having subsequent contact that eradicated Charles Leclerc, and the McLaren driver believes he had remained in full management all through the incident.
“In my view, I had a really clear alternative up the within, went for it – sure there was a lockup, however I used to be firmly on the apex, on the white line. I couldn’t go any additional left, and I can’t simply disappear,” Piastri mentioned. “The choice is what it’s. It was one in every of various troublesome moments by way of at present and this weekend, however I wouldn’t have accomplished something otherwise if I had one other probability.
“I might say I used to be shedding floor, sure, however I believe that’s as a result of the opposite two have been braking very late. It was a bit damp on the within, so I used to be in all probability a bit cautious with that. Clearly once you’re on the skin you may take rather more liberty.
“Once more, there was a lockup, however I believe the very fact I saved it on the within white line with a lockup, I used to be fairly firmly in management if I can hold my line.
“It doesn’t matter what method you have a look at [the lockup], I’m undecided the place I’m alleged to go, as a result of when you’ve that good of a run into Flip 1, totally alongside, you’re not simply going to again out. To try to go in any deeper than I did would have been formidable, and I used to be the place I used to be.
“I believe in that state of affairs, if I used to be clearly understeering and lacking the apex, after which hit Kimi, then certain I’d perceive, however the reality I used to be as far left as I may have gone makes it robust.”
Lando Norris’ victory means Piastri drops 24 factors behind his teammate within the drivers’ championship, and the Australian admits he’s nonetheless looking for a constant return to his type seen earlier within the season.
“Issues haven’t been going simply, that’s for certain,” he lamented. “This weekend there have been moments and flashes the place I felt very snug – in follow issues have been coming rather more simply once more – [but] it went away from us a bit of bit by way of the weekend. Even simply our tempo as a group I don’t assume was as robust because it [was] on Friday, and the automotive form of went in a course I wasn’t a giant fan of.
“We tried our greatest to get the automotive in a very good window. The Dash crash made issues troublesome as nicely. Simply plenty of issues going incorrect in the mean time, however there’s nonetheless flashes of actually robust tempo and [we’re] making an attempt to ensure we’ve bought that on a regular basis.”
