Nicole Piastri admits fear watching son's 'horrifying' challenge that denied Max Verstappen victory
Updated . First published
Oscar Piastri proved he has no fear taking on difficult challenges against his rivals, but his first turn battle with Max Verstappen was one his mother hopes she won't see again.
Verstappen was hit with a time penalty which saw him denied victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after he went off the track on the first corner under pressure from Piastri.
The Red Bull driver managed to keep his lead despite the incident but received a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage by going off-track.
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That punishment helped the Australian claim his third win this season, although, for Nicole Piastri, she would much rather her son opt out of such dangerous acts.
"I kinda wish Oscar wouldn't hold his ground with someone like Max Verstappen," she laughed when speaking on 4BC radio on Monday.
"That was horrifying, to be honest. But that's what he does and he will continue to do that."
Max Verstappen of Oracle Red Bull Racing (left) runs wide as Oscar Piastri of Mercedes leads in Saudi Arabia. Getty
Having watched McLaren's Lando Norris crash out of qualifying due to a simple error, Nicole admitted she is always concerned about the high-impact obstacles that will be thrown in the path of Piastri as he races.
"It's just the risk, and it's not so much Oscar, it's people around him," she said when asked about her fear watching the race.
"There is no sleeping when Oscar is racing at 300 kilometres per hour.
"He's very cautious by nature, and he's very calculated and clever in the way that he does everything.
"He took on Max at the first corner, which was a bit horrifying. But typically, he won't take risks. But you can't trust that those around him won't miss. You just can't trust that those around him won't take risks.
"As we saw with Lando, a tiny mistake can be really dangerous. They are only human.
"It's nice that [Oscar's] doing well but my priority is just that he finishes the race and gets out of the car and walks away. If he finishes well that is just a bonus."
Verstappen told his Red Bull team over the radio during the race that he felt Piastri had forced him off the track. The four-time champion repeatedly refused to go into any more detail in a televised interview and a later news conference.
“The start happened, turn one happened and suddenly it was lap 50 (the last lap). It just all went super fast,” Verstappen said in response to one question.
“The problem is that I cannot share my opinion about it because I might get penalised also, you know, so it’s better not to speak about it.”
Max Verstappen speaks after the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia. Getty
Verstappen indicated he was keeping quiet both because of potential “trouble” with the governing body and because “sometimes your words can be twisted".
“I think it’s just the world we live in," he added.
"You can’t share fully your opinion because it’s not appreciated, apparently, or people can’t handle the full truth.”
It's not the first time Verstappen has refused to discuss racing issues. Last year he kept his answers to a minimum at the Singapore Grand Prix after a punishment for swearing from the governing body, the FIA.
Since then, the FIA has tightened its rules on misconduct to allow for large fines or even suspensions for drivers. The focus has largely been on punishments for swearing but the rules also cover comments which could cause “moral injury or loss” to the FIA or its executives.
Verstappen signalled that was his concern.
“I know that I cannot swear in here but at the same time, you can also not be critical or any kind of form that might harm or danger, or... Let me get the sheet out, there’s a lot of lines," he said.
Second placed Max Verstappen lifts his trophy on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia next to winner Oscar Piastri. Getty
“That’s why it’s better not to talk about it because you can put yourself in trouble.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner called Monday's penalty “a very harsh decision”.
Despite the frustration over the penalty, Verstappen's second place was a strong recovery from a troubled run to sixth in Bahrain last week.
Red Bull's lack of pace in that race prompted speculation Verstappen could even seek to leave the team if it can't provide a car capable of fighting for the title.
Meanwhile, the victory for Piastri marks the first time since 2010 that an Australian has been positioned atop of the world driver championship standings.
The last Australian to achieve such feet was Piastri's manager, Mark Webber.
Such achievement was one Nicole downplayed as she noted that her son still has a long run of work to produce before any championship celebrations will be held.
"I'm very proud," she said.
"He will just take it one race at a time. Just brace himself for the next race and get through that. I think that's the best way to approach it. It's how he's done it with every other championship that he has won."
