Oscar Piastri says it wasn’t possible to attempt a pass on Charles Leclerc in the Monaco Grand Prix because his car was too wide.
The McLaren driver spent all 78 laps of the race behind Leclerc, and was close behind the Ferrari driver for much of that time. However he said there simply wasn’t room to squeeze alongside him at any point.“I was a tricky race,” he said. “The pace at the beginning was incredibly slow, and I had one little half-look before the tunnel, but didn’t have a small enough car to fit into a gap.”
From second on the grid, Piastri tangled with Leclerc’s team mate Carlos Sainz Jnr at the start and suffered floor damage. The race was red-flagged, which allowed McLaren to switch him from the medium tyre compound to hards, meaning he did not need to make a pit stop.
That consigned him and those around him to a processional race. However he said he was pleased to score his first podium finish of the season.
“It’s been a great weekend around and nice to finally put a result on the board,” he said. “I feel like we’ve been very strong for the last few weekends, but didn’t really have the results to show for it. So it’s nice to have a podium, and what better place?”
Yesterday Piastri admitted he made a few mistakes in qualifying which cost him a shot a pole position. But he said it would have been hard to beat Leclerc.
“Charles has been mega all weekend and they’ve been quick from the very first lap and I think it would have taken something pretty special in quali to out-do him,” said Piastri. “The opportunity was almost there, but it would have taken probably the best lap of my life.
“So I’m happy with P2, a good result for the team again and very, very happy.”
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Nick T.
26th May 2024, 17:13
Indeed. Who would have though that making cars which are literally wider and long than a Ford F150 pickup truck wouldn’t be a good idea…almost as heavy as one too.
Who
27th May 2024, 2:47
I don’t understand why people say this type of nonsense.
Yes, the cars are way too long.
No, the cars are not very wide. In fact the current F1 cars are the second thinnest f1 cars in modern history
Before 1992 the cars were wider than today. The mid 90s cars were identical in width to today. I don’t understand why people seem to think that 2 metres width is wide for an F1 car.
KMC
26th May 2024, 17:31
12cm wider in 1980
Stephen Taylor
26th May 2024, 17:41
Eh the top cars in 1980 had skirts and front wings and were less affected by dirty air. These cars ar not just too wide they are also too long as well.
Who is this little man
27th May 2024, 2:47
They are not too wide. Full stop. It’s a cope to say they are. The issue is the length.
Riccard
26th May 2024, 17:44
Even after a mostly boring race like today’s (the first half-lap aside), one look at 1980 reminds us how lucky we are.
Only eight cars finished; seven from the same engine manufacturer. No-one within a minute of the leader. Only two other cars on the same *LAP*.
Jones chased Pironi for the lead, but then Jones retired with engine failure. A while later, when he simply needed to drive home, Pironi hit the barriers and was out.
Reutemann inherited the lead, and drove home unopposed for the win.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
26th May 2024, 20:25
I don’t see how today’s situation is better, where drivers just go as slow as they can to not let them build a gap, at least back then they went as fast as they could.
Nick T.
26th May 2024, 17:45
But a lot wider than 2006 for example or 2010…
Who is this little man
27th May 2024, 2:48
Those were the thinnest f1 cars in history and also produced terrible racing. What’s your point?
Asd
26th May 2024, 18:34
Exactly! Current cars are NOT wide. They are NORMAL and APPROPRIATE in width.
The problem is their length. They should be at least 80-100cm shorter, instead of the 15cm planned for 2026.
Riccard
26th May 2024, 18:41
There’s a good graph here which puts the width and length into context:
https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/pza94u/length_and_width_of_formula_1_cars_from_1950_to/
Who is this little man
27th May 2024, 2:51
That graph is just bs lol, what is going on with 1998? F1 cars weren’t wider in 1998 than 1997 lmao
Djangles LeVaughn (@royal-spark)
26th May 2024, 20:22
Smaller cars from 20 years ago had already out grown the circuit.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
26th May 2024, 20:27
Overtaking was still reasonable back then though, now it’s getting borderline impossible at monaco.
Jere (@jerejj)
27th May 2024, 8:15
@esploratore1 No different & always as difficult in reality.