Oscar Piastri on George Russell: “He just pushed me into the wall”

No sooner had the lights on the brand-new Madring starting grid gone out than things got tight for Oscar Piastri: George Russell moved over to the right and left the McLaren star with no room – and that’s when the first contact occurred between the Australian and the experienced British driver in the Mercedes. The pair clashed a second time as they braked into the second corner.

The first collision alone meant that the McLaren driver, who had started from seventh on the grid, was left with a damaged front wing. And as if that weren’t enough, for Piastri – who had started on the hard tyres – the virtual safety car period came too soon. His pit stop saw him drop back to 11th place; he then tried to fight his way back up the field and was ultimately rewarded with eighth place and four World Championship points.

Commenting on the unpleasant encounters with Russell, he said: “I was right next to him and he simply pushed me into the wall. I then slammed on the brakes and initially missed him, but he braked too, as we all did. And we were, so to speak, stuck. I’d expected him to leave a bit more room, because between a wall and an opponent’s car, you simply can’t find any extra space.”

“It was a difficult race right from the first lap, and the damage to the front wing didn’t help matters. My position on the track didn’t make my life any easier either. It was just very, very difficult,” the 25-year-old summed up with a sigh.

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