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Oscar Piastri Puts Shortlived Joy Aside to Recall Max Verstappen Nightmare That Left Him in Cold Sweats

Published 08/11/2023, 6:00 AM EDT

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Do you believe in miracles? Well, McLaren‘s magical comeback does seem like a miracle to us. Along with that miracle came Oscar Piastri‘s unworldly performances. The Australian is really showing his mettle as we now understand why Alpine and McLaren were fighting over the youngster. Nonetheless, Piastri recently recalled the Max Verstappen nightmare that left him in cold sweats as he put his short-lived joy away. What was this nightmare?

Oscar Piastri has been right up with Lando Norris in terms of his performances. Despite being in his rookie year in F1, Oscar Piastri showed his true potential when he led the Belgian GP sprint race before the safety car came out and closed the gap to Max Verstappen. Hence, the joy of leading the race was short-lived. However, Piastri’s recent statements revealed that he was already prepared for the Dutchman to pass him. Max Verstappen’s dominance left Piastri in a dreaded state. 

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According to a recent video by P1 with Matt and Tommy, Oscar Piastri when asked about leading his first F1 laps said “It was firstly very cool to lead some laps. But, it’s a very different feeling when you’ve got Max Verstappen and Red Bull behind you because you know it’s going to be a matter of when he’s going past you, not if at the moment. The first couple of laps before the safety car came out I was sort of keeping him at bay a little bit. But as soon as the safety car came out, I knew with that downforce, I was going to be in a lot of trouble.”

Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s pace has been out of the world as the Dutchman continues to finish the races a country mile ahead of the rest of the field. Despite Max Verstappen’s fear, Oscar Piastri after the race revealed that he won’t ever forget the Belgium GP sprint.

“A day I won’t forget”: Oscar Piastri after the Belgium GP sprint

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Oscar Piastri finished P2 at the Belgium GP sprint in a session affected by rain and a safety car. As we’ve mentioned above, it was the inevitable Max Verstappen who snatched the lead away from Piastri. Nonetheless, Piastri suggested that leading his first laps in F1 is still very memorable and that it’ll be a day that he’ll never forget.

via Reuters

According to Formula1.com, Oscar Piastri said, “We’ve still got a little bit of work to do, clearly, to get right to the top, but it’s a lot nicer to be up there. To lead my first laps was a day I won’t forget.”

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WATCH THIS STORY | Is Oscar Piastri Already Justifying His Talent By Performing Better Than Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren?

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Written by:

Pranay Bhagi

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Pranay Bhagi is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports, who has always been passionate about sports and writing. With a degree from a prestigious institute, he has channeled his enthusiasm into sports journalism, particularly F1, a sport that has captivated him for over a decade. Pranay's deep-rooted love for the sport began during the Sebastian Vettel era, and he has been following it religiously ever since.
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Edited by:

Aishwary Gaonkar