Oscar Piastri blasts Max Verstappen with sarcastic radio comment as the F1 World Champion cops 10-second penalty after making contact with the Aussie driver

Oscar Piastri fell down 17 places during the first 10 seconds of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after he and Max Verstappen made contact on the first corner of the opening lap. 

The Formula One World Champion was subsequently handed a 10-second penalty for the infraction, which he branded ‘unlucky’. 

But Piastri was less than impressed by Verstappen’s move and was overheard on the radio issuing what appeared to be a sarcastic comment about the Dutch driver. 

‘Yep, move of a World Champion that one,’ the 23-year-old McLaren driver said. 

When informed by his team that Verstappen had been handed a 10-second penalty, Piastri responded: ‘Good.’ 

It was a dramatic start to the race, with Verstappen appearing to come up the inside of the Aussie driver, making contact before the pair spun out on the track. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez was ruled out of the race after he was involved in a separate incident. 

Max Verstappen was handed a 10-second penalty after appearing to make contact with Ocscar Piastri during the first lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Piastri was spun off the track before he was forced to pit for some new tyres, but his car was not ‘majorly’ damaged

Despite making contact, both drivers were able to continue racing, with Piastri skidding off the track before spinning around to face the wrong direction. 

Both drivers were able to continue, with Piastri suffering some minor damage to his front wing. He would later pit but the McLaren mechanics did not replace the part, instead changing his tyres. 

‘I mean I was just super unlucky,’ Verstappen said on the radio after his 10-second penalty had been announced. 

‘I was all the way up the inside before the crash.’ 

Despit the incident, Piastri stated after the race that Verstappen had privately apologised to him. 

‘Probably yes [the move was too optimistic]. But he came and apologised straight away and the stewards deemed it was a penalty,’ he said to Sky Sports. 

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, confirmed that there was ‘no major damage’ to Piastri’s car after he had pitted. 

‘I think the penalty was appropriate,’ he said to Sky Sports F1. 

Verstappen had appeared to come up the inside of Piastri, forcing him off the track 

Martin Brundle also claimed on Sky Sports that the move by Verstappen was ‘not necessary’  

‘He wasn’t pulling up alongside. Now we’ve got to [focus] on the recovery and Lando’s looking pretty good in front. 

Things went from bad to worse for Piastri after he was handed a 10-second penalty by Racing Control after he was involved in a separate incident with Franco Colapinto. 

Martin Brundle, speaking on Sky Sports F1, added: ‘Thinking about that first corner, it was so unfair of Max. He’s not in the Championship. 

‘He’s won his Driver’s Championship, to pull such a risky move… I know it’s the first lap of a Grand Prix. 

‘There was a bit of a gap. Piastri perhaps, could of… would he have known he [Max] was going to lunge like that? 

‘It just wasn’t necessary. And it hasn’t done any good for Verstappen either.’ 

Verstappen would have his say on the incident after the race, adding: ‘I didn’t want to crash with Oscar, but I couldn’t avoid a touch. For me, the most important thing was to apologize to him.’

Piastri, meanwhile, went on to join an exclusive list of drivers that includes Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to have raced in every lap of an Formula One season.  

Piastri (right) blasted the F1 World Champion (left) with a sarcastic comment over the radio, while Verstappen said he was ‘unlucky’ when reflecting on his 10-second penalty

McLaren had begun the race with a 21-point advantage in the Constructors Championship, with Lando Norris and Piastri starting first and second on poll. A first-place finish in the race would have secured the championship for them ahead of Ferrari.

And they would go on to end a 26-year wait to claim the coveted trophy, with Norris going on to finish first in Abu Dhabi, ahead of Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. 

Lewis Hamilton, driving in his final race for Mercedes would finish fourth, one spot ahead of team-mate George Russell. 

After Piastri had also served his 10-second penalty, he produced an excellent drive to climb up to 10th in the standings. 

Meanwhile, Aussie driver Jack Doohan, who was making his debut for Haas this weekend in place of Esteban Ocon, finished in 15th place.