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Oscar Piastri’s nightmarish debut Formula one The young Australian gunman has become the first to retire after the new season of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Double world champion Max Verstappen Continuing his impressive form to win Sunday’s grand prix, there was nothing for Piastri to laugh at.
The Australian driver’s first race in F1 came to an end after just 14 laps after he got stuck in the McLaren garage. The 21-year-old shook his head in frustration after his struggling McLaren languished with electronics problems.
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Piastri, who started 18th on the grid and moved up a few positions, had complained about gearbox problems over the team radio. He was told mechanics would replace his steering wheel as soon as he pulled in, but when he pulled in and stalled, it became clear the problem couldn’t be fixed.
The Melbourne-born driver becomes the first driver to retire for the 2023 season – following his tragic introduction to Formula 1 Replaces compatriot Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren. Piastri has been touted for his great achievements in F1 after a dizzying career in F2 and F3 classes.
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown told Sky Sports: “It looked like he had some kind of electrical problem, the gearbox problem on the track was electronically related. We replaced the steering wheel and it didn’t seem to do the trick, so we had to Diagnose what it is.”
Piastri later tweeted: “What a fantastic F1 debut – a childhood dream becoming a reality. This is not the end we wanted. All the best until then It’s a fair race. I’ll work hard with the team.”
It was a dreadful day for McLaren, with Piastri’s team-mate Lando Norris also having a dreadful afternoon. Brown reported that Norris’ car had been having “aerodynamic issues”, leading to two early pit stops that saw the British driver finish last of 17 to finish the race. “It’s been a challenging start to the year,” Brown lamented.
F1 fans and commentators expressed their disappointment with Piastri, with many citing Ricciardo and his brutal layoff by McLaren last year.
Max Verstappen wins Bahrain Grand Prix
Verstappen and Red Bull, on the other hand, completed their best start to the season with a 1-2 win, while Fernando Alonso was on the podium in his Aston Martin debut. With Sergio Perez finishing runners-up to Verstappen – 11.9 seconds behind his double world champion team-mate – Red Bull celebrated the last 12 races since July 2022. 10th win in games.
“Very lovely, very good result. We had a good race pace,” Verstappen told the team after the race. “Very happy with that. Thank you guys.
“It’s the start of the season that we want and need. Perfect one-on-two”.
Verstappen took victory from pole, his first win in Bahrain and his first Formula 1 opener. Alonso passed Carlos Sainz in a thrilling wheel-to-wheel with 12 laps to go.
“It’s a lovely car to drive,” the 41-year-old Spaniard said after his 356th career race. “To be here and to be on the podium at the first race of the year, what Aston Martin has done over the winter to get the car second in the first race is fantastic. It’s just unreal of.”
Lewis Hamilton finished fifth in the Mercedes team, while Canadian driver Lance Stroll earned Aston Martin a lucrative points finish with a sixth. Ferrari could only lick its wounds as Charles Leclerc lost power in the third-place race before Sainz was passed by Alonso.
with AAP
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