“I Would’ve Unplugged the Radio”: IndyCar Driver Feels ‘Sorry’ for Oscar Piastri Over Home Race Misfortune

The 2025 Australian GP marked a strong start to the season for McLaren, though not quite the dream result they had hoped for. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri dominated on Saturday, securing a front-row lockout. However, by the end of the weekend, only Norris was left smiling. While the Bristol-born driver went on to win the Grand Prix, Piastri saw his bid for victory unravel.

The Australian driver looked just as strong — if not stronger — than Norris in Melbourne’s wet conditions. However, in a surprising call for the very first race of the season, McLaren instructed him to hold position and not attack his teammate, seemingly disrupting his momentum.

On lap 44, as rain returned to shake up proceedings, both Norris and Piastri ran wide through the gravel before turn 13. While Norris managed to keep his car on track, Piastri couldn’t quite regain control and slid onto the grass at the penultimate corner. This undid all the hard work for the 23-year-old, who at one point, was just four-tenths of a second away from Norris.

It was a frustrating way for Piastri’s weekend to unravel. While he refrained from blaming McLaren post-race, IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin did not hold back.

“Great for Lando, but feel for OP. Home race getting told to hold pozzy, bit rich, first race of the year. I would’ve unplugged the radio,” McLaughlin wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The indirect team order imposed by McLaren could very well have messed with Piastri’s mind in the second half of the race. He knew he was the quicker driver. Still, the papaya squad settled for having Norris as their first victor of 2025.

While he isn’t an outspoken individual, the frustration in his radio responses was palpable.

Regardless, Piastri received the louder cheers from the Albert Park crowd — not just because he was the home favorite, but because of his ‘never give up’ attitude, a trait synonymous with Aussies.

Never count an Aussie out

After his car got stuck in the grass, Piastri seemed on the verge of a DNF as he struggled to regain control and get back on the track. But as they say: never count an Australian out.

He carefully reversed onto the circuit and limped into the pits to put on the intermediate tires. Then, Piastri looked like a man possessed. Rejoining at the back, he launched a determined charge through the field to secure a P9 finish — scoring two valuable points that could prove crucial later in the season.

Still, it was a gut-wrenching weekend for Piastri. No Australian driver had ever finished on the podium at their home Grand Prix, let alone won since it became part of the championship in 1985. For the first time in years, an Aussie had arrived as a genuine podium contender.

A podium — or even better, a victory — would have been a historic moment for the Melbourne-born driver.

After the race, Piastri was understandably crestfallen. Losing on home soil was a bitter pill to swallow, but he took full responsibility for the mistake. “Obviously, a mistake from myself, but I think for it to have the consequences that it did was a little bit unfortunate. I’ve only got myself to blame. I tried to push too much in those conditions,” he admitted.

Regardless, he delivered an impressive recovery drive, capping it off with a thrilling final-lap overtake on Lewis Hamilton. That move alone deserved a closer look. Piastri executed a daring pass around the outside of Hamilton’s Ferrari at the Turn 9-10 chicane, showcasing top-notch racecraft to the delight of the home crowd.

Despite the disappointment, Piastri knows he has a car capable of winning races. And with the pace he showed, he will surely be a force to be reckoned with for the rest of the season.