Oscar Piastri crashed out of the Brazil GP sprint race, but McLaren isn’t worried about him missing qualifying.
The team told GPblog they have “no concerns at this stage” about the Australian’s participation in the crucial session that determines tomorrow’s starting grid.
Piastri lost control of his car on lap 6 at Turn 3. He hit a wet curb and slammed into the barriers on the opposite side of the track, ending his race on the spot.
He wasn’t alone in his misfortune. Franco Colapinto also crashed out at the same corner, while Nico Hülkenberg managed to limp back to the pits with a damaged front wing.
The crash proved costly for Piastri in the championship battle. With teammate Lando Norris taking the sprint victory, Piastri now sits nine points behind at the top of the standings. Those eight points he missed out on today could make all the difference in the title fight.
## Did Norris accidentally cause Piastri’s crash?
There’s an interesting twist to the story. On that fateful sixth lap, Norris actually ran wide at Turn 3, splashing water onto the curb that later caught out several drivers – including his teammate.
The incident became a talking point during the post-Sprint press conference.
George Russell, who finished third behind his Mercedes teammate, couldn’t resist a playful dig at Norris, jokingly “blaming” him for inadvertently triggering the series of crashes at Turn 3.
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