Aussie young gun Oscar Piastri has suggested his second place in the Austrian Grand Prix was a win gone begging.
Piastri was one of the main beneficiaries from a controversial clash between his McLaren teammate Lando Norris and Max Verstappen with seven laps to go.
He crossed the line to seal his fourth F1 podium – his third second place finish – less than two seconds behind the race-winning Mercedes of George Russell.
READ MORE: Norris ‘lost respect’ for Verstappen over ‘stupid’ crash
READ MORE: Aussie’s startling hypnotherapy admission after win
READ MORE: ‘Simply stunning’ Best flips NSW selection script
Piastri was catching Russell in the closing laps but ultimately ran out of time. He’d finished second behind Verstappen in the sprint race earlier in the weekend.
“There’s a lot of what ifs and maybes,” the 23-year-old said.
“Obviously, starting from yesterday I know it’s only my fourth podium in F1, so close to a win, it hurts.
“I think second half of the race we were coming on pretty strong, I am happy with another podium, when it’s that close you can’t help but hurt a bit.”
That Piastri is hurting is understandable. He should arguably have been further up the road if not for a “cruel” call in qualifying.
Piastri started Sunday night’s (AEST) race from seventh after his quickest lap in qualifying – which would have been good enough for third on the grid behind Verstappen and Norris – was deleted for exceeding track limits by the barest of margins.
The usually calm and collected Piastri blew up, and labelled the call “embarrassing”. Russell was promoted to third on the grid, which only further rubbed salt into the wound.
Piastri’s race could’ve very easily ended at the first corner, when he and the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc made contact.
Leclerc was forced to pit for a new front wing and plummeted to the rear of the field, but Piastri miraculously survived without damage.
He was pushed off the track while battling Sergio Perez, and then spent much of the first stint stuck in traffic.
Piastri got past Lewis Hamilton shortly before the final pitstops, and emerged from his own behind the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, who he passed on the same lap as the Norris-Verstappen collision.
It’s the latest in a series of frustrating what-ifs for the Melbournian.
Piastri was in contention for victory when his strategy was ruined by the safety car that gave Norris the victory in Miami.
Then in Imola, a three-place grid penalty for impeding a rival in qualifying robbed him of a front-row start at Imola. He finished fourth, Norris finished second, less than a second behind race-winner Verstappen.
He was happy with second place in Monaco, but a late collision with Russell robbed him of a late charge in Canada.
The season continues this weekend with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where Piastri enjoyed a breakout weekend 12 months ago.
”It’s not my home grand prix but McLaren’s,” he said.
“It was a place of good memories from last year. Hopefully we can be at the front. It’s our team’s home race.
“I’m excited for what is to come.”