Oscar Piastri 'Hurts' After Italian GP Struggle - 'A Lot Of Question Marks'

Alex Harrington | Sep 1, 2024

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; McLaren driver Oscar Piastri (81) during a press conference in advance of the Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri was visibly emotional following a challenging Italian GP, where he secured a second-place finish but wrestled with the team's strategy.

"It hurts. I’m not going to lie, it hurts a lot," Piastri admitted, summarizing his feelings after falling short of victory.

Despite the podium finish, the race was filled with complex strategy calls and intense on-track battles, leaving Piastri to contemplate what could have been.

The 2024 Italian Grand Prix was a dynamic race. Charles Leclerc, who finished first, benefited highly from strategic decisions and perhaps a bit of fortune. Piastri, starting strong and maintaining a competitive pace, faced numerous challenges, notably with tyre management and race strategy.

"I did a lot of things right today. There was a lot of question marks on the strategy going into the race," Piastri reflected. Feeling the weight of a second-place finish with the potential for a win, Piastri continued:

"Very, very happy with the pace, with the race that I managed to achieve. Just when you finish second it hurts."

Early in the race, Lando Norris fought off Piastri's advances to hold first place while a defensive move by Piastri pushed George Russell off-track, causing front-wing damage. Within the first lap, Piastri managed to overtake Lando while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc seized the opportunity to take second behind the Papaya driver.

Race strategy came into sharp focus as decisions around tyre management played a significant role.

"From the position we were in with the tyres looking like they did, doing a one-stop seemed like a very risky call, and in the end it was right," Piastri noted. "The mediums were getting destroyed and even the hards on the Red Bull at the start looked pretty dead," Piastri commented.

Piastri's final position of second came after a robust yet arduous race. Leclerc's victory was a strategic gamble that paid off.

"We had everything to lose from being in the lead of the race. Charles could try something a bit different. He was going to finish third either way and picked the right gamble today," Piastri acknowledged. Throughout the race, the tyre graining issues were a constant obstacle: "My front left was pretty heavily grained. We just didn’t expect it to clear back up again, which it did. Painful.

"Everyone’s a legend on Monday after the race or at the chequered flag, and today unfortunately we got it a bit wrong, and myself being a big part of that."