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Oscar Piastri crashed out of the Australian Grand Prix before it even began.
Piastri crashed on his reconnaissance lap less than an hour before the first race of the 2026 Formula 1 season was set to begin. Drivers typically take to the track to shake down their cars before the race begins via a lap at less than full speed.
The Australian driver crashed in Turn 4 as his team said his car snapped loose as he was shifting gears. As the right side tires of Piastri’s car were on the outside curb — drivers go over curbs all the time in F1 races — Piastri lost control of the car and it hit the wall.
The wreck was significant enough to ensure that McLaren wouldn’t have enough time to repair Piastri’s car before the race and left thousands of fans in shock.
Piastri was set to start the race in fifth after Mercedes’ George Russell and Kimi Antonelli locked out the front row with a dominating qualifying performance. Piastri, 24, finished third in the points standings in 2025 as McLaren won its second straight constructor's title and teammate Lando Norris won his first world championship.
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Piastri crashed on his reconnaissance lap less than an hour before the first race of the 2026 Formula 1 season was set to begin. Drivers typically take to the track to shake down their cars before the race begins via a lap at less than full speed.
The Australian driver crashed in Turn 4 as his team said his car snapped loose as he was shifting gears. As the right side tires of Piastri’s car were on the outside curb — drivers go over curbs all the time in F1 races — Piastri lost control of the car and it hit the wall.
The wreck was significant enough to ensure that McLaren wouldn’t have enough time to repair Piastri’s car before the race and left thousands of fans in shock.
Piastri was set to start the race in fifth after Mercedes’ George Russell and Kimi Antonelli locked out the front row with a dominating qualifying performance. Piastri, 24, finished third in the points standings in 2025 as McLaren won its second straight constructor's title and teammate Lando Norris won his first world championship.
Continue reading...
