"It's a little bit tough to swallow at the moment": Oscar Piastri reflects on McLaren's disastrous strategy

Oscar Piastri was left impressed with the McLaren strategy in the recently concluded Qatar GP. The McLaren star who started the race from pole, ended his day in P2 as Max Verstappen overtook him and claimed the victory, thanks to a brilliant strategy by the Red Bull team.

Having started his race from the pole, Piastri was leading the race until a blunder by the McLaren pit wall took away all his advantage. In Lap 7 of the race, Nico Hulkenberg went off after getting knocked out by Gasly.

As a result, the stewards called in the safety car, and this was when Red Bull excelled and McLaren faltered. The Red Bull pit wall called Verstappen in for a quick pit stop under the Safety Car, whereas McLaren kept their drivers on track.

When the time came for the pits, both Norris and Piastri lost huge chunks of time to Verstappen. In the end, Piastri came home in P2, while Norris finished his race in P4.

Following the conclusion of the race, Oscar Piastri shared his displeasure with the McLaren strategy. Speaking to the media, here's what he said in the post-race interview:

"Clearly we did not get it right tonight. I drove as fast as I could but wasn't to be. In hindsight it is pretty obvious what we should have done, but we'll discuss that as a team. A little bit tough to swallow at the moment."

Carlos Sainz of Williams came home in P3, while Kimi Antonelli finished the race in P5. George Russell, Fernando Alonso, Charles Leclerc, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda wrapped up the Top 10 finishing positions.

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Max Verstappen hailed Red Bull as Oscar Piastri's McLaren faltered

Max Verstappen, the race winner of the Qatar GP hailed his team after the Austrian team's pit wall pulled off a stunning move at the Lusail International Circuit. Speaking to the media after the race, here's what the reigning champion said:

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing on the podium with his trophy during the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Lusail International Circuit - Source: Getty

"This was an incredible race for us, we made the right call to box under that Safety Car. A strong race for us on a weekend that was tough."

With a race remaining for this season, Lando Norris is leading the championship with 408 points, followed by Max Verstappen with 396 points, and Oscar Piastri with 392 points.