'Beached' Oscar Piastri to start 17th after Mexican Grand Prix qualifying shocker
Oscar Piastri will start the Mexican Grand Prix from 17th after a nightmare performance in qualifying on Sunday morning (AEDT).
Only hours after topping a McLaren 1-2 in the final practice session, Piastri and the Red Bull of home hero Sergio Perez were shock eliminations in the first part of qualifying.
It ends a streak of Q3 appearances stretching back to last year's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the longest of any driver on the grid.
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Piastri ruined his first lap of the session with a locked brake into turn five, and then then ran too wide at the exit of turn 12 with his second lap.
The car bounced awkwardly over the kerb, which cost him a significant chunk of time. The lap was later deleted anyway for exceeding track limits.
Oscar Piastri ran wide during qualifying for the Mexican Grand Prix on his way to 17th. FOX Sports
It forced him to attempt a third lap, but his car's batteries and tyres were not ready and his time of 1:17.597 was more than a second behind teammate Lando Norris, who was quickest.
The time was initially good enough for 14th, before it was eclipsed by Charles Leclerc, Kevin Magunessen, and Valtteri Bottas.
"Dear oh dear ... the man who was fastest barely two hours ago," Martin Brundle quipped in commentary.
"That is a massive upset on both counts," David Croft added, speaking of Piastri and Perez.
Piastri replied with silence when told he'd been knocked out. His deleted lap time also wouldn't have been enough to get him through to the second part of qualifying.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Piastri offered no excuses.
"I just went off at turn 12, got beached on the kerb and that was it. Very frustrated to have been eliminated," he said.
"It's just a tricky circuit, but today wasn't down to it being tricky. I made a poor mistake and that was it."
Carlos Sainz will start the Mexican Grand Prix from pole. Getty
Pending any penalties, it would be the second year in a row a McLaren had started the Mexican Grand Prix from 17th. Norris powered through the field to finish 5th.
"I'll make sure I do my homework on how he came through the field and try and do the same I guess."
The Ferrari of Carlos Sainz took pole from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
A crash for Yuki Tsunoda late in the second part of qualifying triggered a red flag, which ruined the lap of his teammate Liam Lawson and potentially cost him a spot in the third and final part of qualifying.
The race will get underway at 7am Monday (AEDT).
