Oscar Piastri’s hopes of ending Australia’s long wait for a home podium ended in disappointment on Sunday when he spun off the wet track at the Melbourne Grand Prix. The McLaren driver, chasing team-mate Lando Norris for the lead, lost control on lap 44 and fell from a certain podium finish to ninth place.
McLaren appeared the class of the field in the middle stages, with Piastri passing Max Verstappen to line up behind Norris. However, team principal Zak Brown had imposed ‘papaya rules’ preventing Piastri from overtaking his team-mate initially. Piastri later admitted he did not fully understand the instructions, saying he would discuss the thinking with the team.
After beaching his car on the grass, Piastri reversed out, jokingly crediting a lesson in reversing a tractor on Jeremy Clarkson’s farm last year. He recovered with several daring passes to finish ninth, but the result extended a barren run for Australian drivers at their home grand prix that now spans 13 years in Melbourne.
Despite the rain, a record four-day crowd of 465,498 attended, many donning orange ponchos in support of the 23-year-old local hero. The wet weather saw 15mm of rain fall during the race, requiring a truck with a 2000-litre tank to continuously clear water from fan areas.
The race also saw a difficult start for rookie Isack Hadjar, who crashed into the wall on the formation lap, damaging his rear wing and his pride as he trudged back to the paddock.
