It wasn’t supposed to end like this.
Oscar Piastri has suffered through one of his most miserable days in Formula 1 after falling apart in extraordinary scenes at the Miami Grand Prix on Monday morning.
Piastri had climbed up to second early in the race and was keeping race leader Max Verstappen honest before disaster and cruel fate struck.
From there the talented Australian’s day went from bad to worse as he watched on as teammate Lando Norris won his first Grand Prix.
Insult was added to injury late in the race when his McLaren team sent him a message of utter disrespect over the team’s radio.
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Norris started fifth on the grid and it looked like Piastri would be McLaren’s hope for a podium when the Aussie flew around the outside and up into third on the opening corner.
After sneaking into second he hung onto the back of Verstappen’s Red Bull before they were both screwed over by a mid-race safety car that played right into Norris’ hands.
The timing of the safety car allowed Norris a free change of tyres and track position way out in front.
The reigning world champion had to settle for the second step on the podium while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished third.
Piastri was driving superbly and his battle with Carlos Sainz for P4 during the middle laps was the most enthralling contest of the race.
The 23-year-old left Sainz furious when his defensive plunge pushed the Ferrari driver wide at the exit of a turn.
The incident was investigated by race stewards, who concluded Piastri’s actions were just good, hard racing.
Sainz did eventually fight his way past Piastri, but the Aussie left it all out there during the wheel to wheel battle which ended with Piastri’s front wing making contact with the back of Sainz’s SF-24.
The Aussie made one final desperate lunge to retake the place, but locked up his breaks and went wide of the track.
It was only the start of his misery.
After being passed by two cars, Piastri was called into the pits to replace the front wing that was damaged in the tussle with Sainz.
By the time he rejoined the race he was dead last.
Piastri gobbled up several cars in front of him on the softer tyre and set the quickest lap of the race.
However, it was countryman Daniel Ricciardo that proved his biggest problem.
Ricciardo was doing his best to block Piastri as they fought for P16 on Lap 51 and the veteran driver repeatedly thwarted Piastri’s passing attempts.
The pair came close to making contact as Piastri came up the inside of Ricciardo at a corner, only for the door to be slammed shut.
The hairy moment had McLaren team officials on tenterhooks with any potential incident or safety car proving a potential threat to Norris’ hopes of winning the race.
“Ricciardo shut the door on him,” David Croft said on Sky Sports.
“That was absolutely epic between the two Australians.”
With his day already a dumpster fire, McLaren team bosses poured salt in the wound by telling Piastri to behave himself in order to protect Norris at the front.
“Oscar, reminder, Lando is leading the race,” Piastri’s engineer Tom Stallard said over the team’s radio.
“We do not want to cause a safety car here.”
Sky Sports analyst Ted Kravitz light-heartedly said: “It’s this fear of a safety car that’s really gripped this McLaren team here.
“Tom Stallard, Oscar Piastri’s engineer is just reminding him it’s Lando who’s leading. He’s saying, ‘We really don’t want to cause a safety car here or disrupt anything between now and Lap 57’. I’m sure that message was received and understood.”
Piastri was able to get passed Ricciardo eventually, but still finished well outside the points.
It was a day to forget for the Australians — Piastri finished 13th and Ricciardo was 15th.
Formula 1 commentator Matt Gallagher wrote on Twitter: “I’m heartbroken for Piastri, he was driving so bloody well today. So unlucky”.
It was a very different story on the other side of the McLaren garage.
Norris made his F1 debut in 2019 and it took until his 110th grand prix to salute, after claiming the unwanted record of having the most podiums (15) without a race victory — including eight second places.
The Brit came agonisingly close to winning the 2021 Russian Grand Prix only for wet weather to cruel his chances.
It’s the first grand prix win for McLaren since Daniel Ricciardo’s victory at Monza in 2021 and signals Norris has finally arrived as a contender and a future world champion.
Miami GP results (top 10)
1) Lando Norris, McLaren
2) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
4) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
5) Sergio Perez, Red Bull
6) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
7) Yuki Tsunoda, VISA Cash App RB
8) George Russell, Mercedes
9) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
10) Esteban Ocon, Alpine