Piastri reacts to Brazil GP penalty: 'Not sure where I'm supposed to go'
When assessing the multi-car crash he was involved with, Oscar Piastri stated he was fully in control despite the smokey lock-up and said he was unsure of where he was "supposed to go."
"I don't know. I mean, no matter what way you look at that, I'm not sure where I'm supposed to go."- Oscar Piastri.
After the debris from Lewis Hamilton's incident with Franco Colapinto and Grabiel Bortoleto's crash, the green flag was waved, and Piastri decided to start making his way up the order.
As he approached Turn 1 with Andrea Kimi Antonelli up ahead in the middle of the track and Charles Leclerc on the outside line, the Australian went for an on-the-limit move up the inside of Antonelli. However, contact ensued, which ended up collecting an innocent Leclerc, resulting in the Monegasque's retirement from the Sao Paulo GP.
When asked about the incident, Piastri stated that the incident was also detonated by what he views as a lack of space left by Antonelli on the inside.
He said: "In my opinion, I had a very clear opportunity up the inside, went for it. Yes, there was a lock -up, but it was firmly on the apex, on the white line. Couldn't go any further left, and I can't just disappear. So the decision is what it is was one of a number of difficult moments through today and this weekend, but I wouldn't have done anything differently if I had another chance."
When told he was actually losing ground to both Antonelli and Leclerc at the braking point, Piastri argued he was being careful on the entry as the tarmac was still damp, suggesting his opponents had braked a bit later than him.
He continued: "I would say I was losing ground, yes, but that was because I think the other two were braking very late.
"It was a bit damp on the inside, so I was probably a bit cautious with that. But obviously when you're on the outside, you can take much more liberty. Again, it was a lock-up, but I think the fact that I managed to keep it stuck on the inside white line with a lock-up-- I was pretty firmly in control if I can keep my line. So, you know, it is what it is."
Regarding if the Stewards' view could be interpreted as overly simplistic, he simply said: "I don't know. I mean, no matter what way you look at that, I'm not sure where I'm supposed to go.
He continued: "Because when you have that good of a run into Turn 1 and you're fully alongside, you're not just going to back out. I think to try and go in any deeper than I did would have been ambitious.
"I was where I was. So I think, you know, in that scenario, I think if I was clearly under steering and missing the apex and then hit Kimmy, then sure, I'd understand. But the fact that I was as far left as I could have gone makes it tough," the Australian driver concluded.
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