Piastri jokes about Las Vegas GP plank wear to ease Abu Dhabi title defeat pain

Oscar Piastri used a wry reference to McLaren's Las Vegas Grand Prix disqualification to lighten the mood after his Formula 1 title hopes ended in Abu Dhabi. The Australian, who finished third in the championship after leading for much of the season, acknowledged the exhausting campaign with a pointed quip about the team's most costly technical failure.

Why it matters:

Piastri's ability to joke about a major setback shows his mental resilience after a crushing championship defeat. The Las Vegas plank wear issue was a pivotal moment in the title fight, handing critical points back to Max Verstappen and ultimately contributing to the Australian missing out on the crown. How a driver processes such near-misses can define their trajectory in subsequent seasons.

The details:

• In a social media video, Piastri reflected on the grueling season, stating, "I think this year’s been pretty tiring at points. And I think it’s worn us pretty thin — not quite as thin as our planks in Las Vegas..."
• The comment drew laughter, with Piastri encouraging everyone to "laugh about it now."
• The Las Vegas GP disqualification for excessive plank wear on both McLaren cars was a dramatic turning point, allowing Verstappen to regain crucial ground in the championship battle.
• Piastri ended the season third in the standings despite leading the championship for fifteen races, making him the "most bitterly disappointed" of the title contenders.
• In Abu Dhabi, he went all-in with an aggressive start to pass teammate Lando Norris and an alternative strategy, but ultimately conceded defeat to Norris's race win and championship victory.

The big picture:

The 2024 season was a story of what might have been for Piastri. His performance proved he belongs in championship conversations, but critical moments like Las Vegas highlighted the fine margins in F1. While Norris secured McLaren's first drivers' title in over a decade, Piastri's season-long challenge establishes him as a permanent front-runner and raises questions about his long-term ambitions within the team dynamic following his teammate's success.