Oscar Piastri labels deleted lap ’embarassing’ at Austrian GP

SPIELBERG, Austria — Oscar Piastri labelled his deleted lap time during Austrian Grand Prix qualifying as “embarrassing” for Formula One as the debate over the issue of track limits resurfaced on Saturday.

The McLaren driver ran wide at Turn six by a matter of centimetres during his final run in Q3, skirting the gravel with his right-side tyres while his left tyres were judged to be beyond the line marking the edge of the track.

Piastri completed the lap to set the third fastest time, but it was deleted moments later, meaning he had to rely on his previous lap time which was only good enough for seventh.

“From where I was sitting, I thought I was in,” Piastri said. “Obviously, quite frustrating.”

In farcical scenes last year, 12 track-limits penalties were applied five hours after the chequered flag at the Red Bull Ring, resulting in the FIA working with the circuit to install strips of gravel on the exit of Turns nine and 10 as a deterrent to running wide.

An expansive gravel trap was already present beyond Turn six and Piastri believes it should act as the de-facto track limit rather than whether the car is a few centimetres beyond the white line.

“For me it’s embarrassing. We do all this work for track limits, put gravel in in places, and I didn’t even go off the track. I stayed on the track, probably my best Turn six and it gets deleted.

“I mean, I don’t know why they’ve spent hundreds of thousands, if not millions, trying to change the last two corners when you still have corners you can go off. But anyway, everyone else kept it in the track, I didn’t, that’s how it goes.

“I was right to the limit of the track, I think that’s what everyone wants to see, again we’ve spent so much effort trying to get rid of these problems, there is no reason this corner should be an issue for track limits, especially when you stay on the track like I did. Or not in the gravel.

“For me, obviously being the only one that’s had that happen to me I’m probably more focal about it right now, but I think it’s embarrassing that you see us pushing right to the limit of what we can do and if I’m one centimeter more I’m in the gravel and completely ruin my lap anyway, and it gets deleted.”