Oscar Piastri sees funny side after caught sledging Alpine on team radio during Austrian GP
The Australian made a comment after having to go off-track to avoid Renault-owned Alpine's Argentine driver Franco Colapinto.
'Alpine still managed to find a way to (expletive) me over all these years later, huh,' he told race engineer Tom Stallard in an exchange not broadcast on television at the time.
Piastri said at a McLaren fan event in London's Trafalgar Square on Wednesday that his swearing had just been spur of the moment.
'It was just kind of a frustrating coincidence. My qualifying got hampered by an Alpine. I got impeded in the race by both the Alpines, so it was kind of just a build-up of a few things,' he said.
'And it was more out of frustration.
'I still have a lot of friends at Alpine, a lot of people that I respect a lot.
'It was just kind of an ironic coincidence that the things that hampered me a bit in the weekend were all with Alpine. But, yeah, more just me trying to express my humour and frustration in the race.'
Piastri joined McLaren after being named by Alpine as their driver for 2023, only for the Australian to very publicly reject the seat with a statement that has become part of Formula One lore.
Then Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer questioned the driver's integrity and threatened legal action, but McLaren won easily when the matter went to the contract recognition board.
Alpine are last in the championship and still going through turmoil, while McLaren won the constructors' title last year and are runaway favourites again.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris insists it will not be a failure if McLaren team-mate Piastri beats him to the world title.
Norris' championship charge is back on track following his win from pole position at the previous round in Austria.
But he still remains 15 points adrift of Piastri going into his home race at Silverstone this weekend.
With Norris and Piastri pulling clear of their rivals in the individual standings — and McLaren 207 points ahead in the battle for the constructors' title — Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has already declared a two-horse race for the championship.
There was a party atmosphere at a huge fanzone event at London's Trafalgar Square on Wednesday, where the two world title contenders were the main attraction.
Norris started the season as the championship favourite, but when asked if he thought it would be a failure if he did not land his maiden world crown this year, the British driver replied: 'I'd have to say I didn't succeed in achieving my goal, but I don't think you can ever call it a failure because I don't believe like I've failed anything.
'I will feel like I didn't live up to what I believed I could have done or the level I should have reached at certain times. But that's not a failure by any means.
'If things were much easier, and you don't achieve your goal, maybe you can call that a failure, but when it is such a long season, competing against the best in the world, I don't think you can ever call not winning the title a failure.'
Now in his seventh season on the grid, Norris will make his 140th Formula One start at Sunday's British Grand Prix.
Mistakes by driver and team saw Norris fall short in his bid to beat Red Bull's Max Verstappen to the title last year.
The errors have carried over for Norris this year, particularly in qualifying, which leaves question marks over his championship credentials.
Norris excelled in Austria, where he held off Piastri in an epic duel, but he has never won consecutive races.
He said: 'It is only normal you feel the pressure from the outside world, but that's not different for me this year.
'It's more the desire, almost too much desire inside, to want to do such a good job every weekend. I want to do so well, I want to deliver for the team and I want to win. I kind of put myself under too much pressure.
Norris will be among four British drivers on the grid this weekend, but there is a case to be made the McLaren man is the most popular of the quartet.
Norris has sold out his own 10,000-seated area - the Landostand - at Stowe corner for the weekend.
'It's very cool because I got it before Lewis (Hamilton) and George (Russell) so that's the best bit,' added Norris with a smile.
'It is incredible. Originally there was a select amount of seats, they sold out almost too quickly, so we had to buy and then sell a load more.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Stingers repeat Paris water polo success against USA
The Australian women's water polo team have inflicted more pain on the USA with another penalty shootout win over their Olympic rivals in Perth. With former skipper and three-time Olympian Zoe Arancini announcing her retirement, the Stingers opened the Tri Nations series in style. Playing their first match at home since winning silver at the Paris Olympics, the Australians posted a thrilling win after the scores were locked at 8-8 at the end of regulation time. In Paris the Stingers downed the three-time Olympic champions in the semi-finals in a dramatic penalty shoot-out after the scores were also 8-8 at fulltime. After some huge saves in their latest shoot-out by goalkeepers Gabi Palm and Gen Longman, fellow Olympian Alice Williams slotted the winning goal. Williams was everywhere, opening the scoring for Australia after converting a penalty, while she also found the back of the cage in the dying seconds of the first quarter to level the scores 2-2. The Aussies added another two goals to their haul in the second quarter, courtesy of Abby Andrews and Olivia Mitchell. In the third, a buzzer-beater goal from Dani Jackovich put the hosts back in it, trailing by one at the three-quarter time break. Williams scored another in the fourth quarter, with Jakovich again nailing her shot in the final minutes to draw level at 8-8. For proud veteran Bronte Halligan, it was a case of deja vu. "An 8-8 score and then to go into irony wasn't lost on me. Almost 12 months ago we had the exact same score in the semi-final against them at the Olympics," Halligan said. "It was just a true dedication to the hard work the girls have put in all year and it was really exciting for our first official home game (this cycle) on home soil to come up with a big win in penalties." Meanwhile, Arancini, who isn't playing in the series, confirmed her retirement from the international stage after a 16-year career. Arancini made her debut for the Aussie Stingers in 2009 and went on to amass 330 international caps and played in the Rio, Tokyo and Paris Games. Having achieved podium success at every major international competition in world water polo, Arancini said the timing felt right to step away. "I've done this for 16 years now, and to finish on such an amazing note at Paris 2024 is pretty special," Arancini said. "I'm ready for the next chapter of my life… I know it's the right decision because I'm happy, I'm content, and it's my choice. "I'm immensely proud of what we've achieved, and I'm so excited for the next generation to step in." The Australians next face Italy on Sunday in Perth as the teams gear up for the world aquatic championships in Singapore next month.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Complete cowards': Cricket Australia blasted over ‘anti-Australian' move to snub national day
Sky News host Freya Leach has slammed Cricket Australia as it came under fire for its move to quietly scrap any fixtures on Australia Day. For the second year in a row – and just the second time in 31 years – there will be no cricket on January 26, despite it being a major public holiday and a key date in the summer calendar. 'Complete cowards, anti-Australian, and people are sick of this; we're sick of the cultural self-loathing,' Ms Leach said. 'When will these organisations understand we actually love our country (and) want to stand tall and be proud.'
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Not super excited': Djokovic's compliment for Demon
Alex de Minaur reckons he couldn't be more excited -- but Novak Djokovic doesn't sound quite so enthused. After Australia's No.1 de Minaur and the man considered by many to be the sport's GOAT Djokovic set up their Wimbledon last-16 date with accomplished victories on Saturday, they both conceded it should be a terrific contest. De Minaur, who beat Danish qualifier August Holmgren in straight sets, has been itching to get his chance for the Wimbledon clash against the seven-time champ that he had hoped to enjoy last year until injury struck, admitting: "It's exciting. "These are the matches you want to be playing in. You don't want to go through a draw or a grand glam and feel like everything has been handed to you. You ultimately want to be beating the best players, and that's my focus. "Novak has completed the game, right? He's broken all the records,. It's amazing for him to still be showing up and still showing that fire and desire to win more." But Djokovic doesn't sound quite so enthusiastic about coming up against the hungry Australian, paying him the ultimate compliment by suggesting: "You're not super excited to play Alex de Minaur on grass, that's for sure! "He has improved his game tremendously in the last couple years. He's playing the tennis of his life. He's definitely knocking on the door of the final stages of grand slams. "He's gotten to the quarters several times. Yeah, last year he had to pull out unfortunately because of his injury, but this year again he's there. "He's playing well. He's so quick and he's a complete player, all around, gaining pace on his serve, as well. He hits his spots very well. "It's going to be a great test to see where my game is at against a top player like Alex." It was another landmark occasion for Djokovic as he celebrated his 100th match win at Wimbledon - a 6-3 6-0 6-4 win over Miomir Kecmanovic - to join Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer as the only players to do so. "Any history I make at my favourite tournament, I'm blessed," said Djokovic. But even the great man on his landmark day couldn't keep the limelight from his seven-year-old daughter Tara, who stole the show with her victory dance. After doing his own version of the post-match victory celebration, Djokovic had been trying to explain it was the family's accompaniment to a song called "Pump It Up". "There's a song with my kids — look my daughter's doing it right now," a smiling Djokovic said as he looked into the crowd. "You want to show it, darling?" Tara then showed everyone how it's done - pump your fists down, then left, right and overhead. The crowd roared and laughed. "She's the master," said Djokovic. "It's a little tradition we have right now. Hopefully we can keep going so we can keep pumping more in Wimbledon." Alex de Minaur reckons he couldn't be more excited -- but Novak Djokovic doesn't sound quite so enthused. After Australia's No.1 de Minaur and the man considered by many to be the sport's GOAT Djokovic set up their Wimbledon last-16 date with accomplished victories on Saturday, they both conceded it should be a terrific contest. De Minaur, who beat Danish qualifier August Holmgren in straight sets, has been itching to get his chance for the Wimbledon clash against the seven-time champ that he had hoped to enjoy last year until injury struck, admitting: "It's exciting. "These are the matches you want to be playing in. You don't want to go through a draw or a grand glam and feel like everything has been handed to you. You ultimately want to be beating the best players, and that's my focus. "Novak has completed the game, right? He's broken all the records,. It's amazing for him to still be showing up and still showing that fire and desire to win more." But Djokovic doesn't sound quite so enthusiastic about coming up against the hungry Australian, paying him the ultimate compliment by suggesting: "You're not super excited to play Alex de Minaur on grass, that's for sure! "He has improved his game tremendously in the last couple years. He's playing the tennis of his life. He's definitely knocking on the door of the final stages of grand slams. "He's gotten to the quarters several times. Yeah, last year he had to pull out unfortunately because of his injury, but this year again he's there. "He's playing well. He's so quick and he's a complete player, all around, gaining pace on his serve, as well. He hits his spots very well. "It's going to be a great test to see where my game is at against a top player like Alex." It was another landmark occasion for Djokovic as he celebrated his 100th match win at Wimbledon - a 6-3 6-0 6-4 win over Miomir Kecmanovic - to join Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer as the only players to do so. "Any history I make at my favourite tournament, I'm blessed," said Djokovic. But even the great man on his landmark day couldn't keep the limelight from his seven-year-old daughter Tara, who stole the show with her victory dance. After doing his own version of the post-match victory celebration, Djokovic had been trying to explain it was the family's accompaniment to a song called "Pump It Up". "There's a song with my kids — look my daughter's doing it right now," a smiling Djokovic said as he looked into the crowd. "You want to show it, darling?" Tara then showed everyone how it's done - pump your fists down, then left, right and overhead. The crowd roared and laughed. "She's the master," said Djokovic. "It's a little tradition we have right now. Hopefully we can keep going so we can keep pumping more in Wimbledon." Alex de Minaur reckons he couldn't be more excited -- but Novak Djokovic doesn't sound quite so enthused. After Australia's No.1 de Minaur and the man considered by many to be the sport's GOAT Djokovic set up their Wimbledon last-16 date with accomplished victories on Saturday, they both conceded it should be a terrific contest. De Minaur, who beat Danish qualifier August Holmgren in straight sets, has been itching to get his chance for the Wimbledon clash against the seven-time champ that he had hoped to enjoy last year until injury struck, admitting: "It's exciting. "These are the matches you want to be playing in. You don't want to go through a draw or a grand glam and feel like everything has been handed to you. You ultimately want to be beating the best players, and that's my focus. "Novak has completed the game, right? He's broken all the records,. It's amazing for him to still be showing up and still showing that fire and desire to win more." But Djokovic doesn't sound quite so enthusiastic about coming up against the hungry Australian, paying him the ultimate compliment by suggesting: "You're not super excited to play Alex de Minaur on grass, that's for sure! "He has improved his game tremendously in the last couple years. He's playing the tennis of his life. He's definitely knocking on the door of the final stages of grand slams. "He's gotten to the quarters several times. Yeah, last year he had to pull out unfortunately because of his injury, but this year again he's there. "He's playing well. He's so quick and he's a complete player, all around, gaining pace on his serve, as well. He hits his spots very well. "It's going to be a great test to see where my game is at against a top player like Alex." It was another landmark occasion for Djokovic as he celebrated his 100th match win at Wimbledon - a 6-3 6-0 6-4 win over Miomir Kecmanovic - to join Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer as the only players to do so. "Any history I make at my favourite tournament, I'm blessed," said Djokovic. But even the great man on his landmark day couldn't keep the limelight from his seven-year-old daughter Tara, who stole the show with her victory dance. After doing his own version of the post-match victory celebration, Djokovic had been trying to explain it was the family's accompaniment to a song called "Pump It Up". "There's a song with my kids — look my daughter's doing it right now," a smiling Djokovic said as he looked into the crowd. "You want to show it, darling?" Tara then showed everyone how it's done - pump your fists down, then left, right and overhead. The crowd roared and laughed. "She's the master," said Djokovic. "It's a little tradition we have right now. Hopefully we can keep going so we can keep pumping more in Wimbledon." Alex de Minaur reckons he couldn't be more excited -- but Novak Djokovic doesn't sound quite so enthused. After Australia's No.1 de Minaur and the man considered by many to be the sport's GOAT Djokovic set up their Wimbledon last-16 date with accomplished victories on Saturday, they both conceded it should be a terrific contest. De Minaur, who beat Danish qualifier August Holmgren in straight sets, has been itching to get his chance for the Wimbledon clash against the seven-time champ that he had hoped to enjoy last year until injury struck, admitting: "It's exciting. "These are the matches you want to be playing in. You don't want to go through a draw or a grand glam and feel like everything has been handed to you. You ultimately want to be beating the best players, and that's my focus. "Novak has completed the game, right? He's broken all the records,. It's amazing for him to still be showing up and still showing that fire and desire to win more." But Djokovic doesn't sound quite so enthusiastic about coming up against the hungry Australian, paying him the ultimate compliment by suggesting: "You're not super excited to play Alex de Minaur on grass, that's for sure! "He has improved his game tremendously in the last couple years. He's playing the tennis of his life. He's definitely knocking on the door of the final stages of grand slams. "He's gotten to the quarters several times. Yeah, last year he had to pull out unfortunately because of his injury, but this year again he's there. "He's playing well. He's so quick and he's a complete player, all around, gaining pace on his serve, as well. He hits his spots very well. "It's going to be a great test to see where my game is at against a top player like Alex." It was another landmark occasion for Djokovic as he celebrated his 100th match win at Wimbledon - a 6-3 6-0 6-4 win over Miomir Kecmanovic - to join Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer as the only players to do so. "Any history I make at my favourite tournament, I'm blessed," said Djokovic. But even the great man on his landmark day couldn't keep the limelight from his seven-year-old daughter Tara, who stole the show with her victory dance. After doing his own version of the post-match victory celebration, Djokovic had been trying to explain it was the family's accompaniment to a song called "Pump It Up". "There's a song with my kids — look my daughter's doing it right now," a smiling Djokovic said as he looked into the crowd. "You want to show it, darling?" Tara then showed everyone how it's done - pump your fists down, then left, right and overhead. The crowd roared and laughed. "She's the master," said Djokovic. "It's a little tradition we have right now. Hopefully we can keep going so we can keep pumping more in Wimbledon."
