Oscar Piastri reveals thoughts on Lewis Hamilton after Monza collison

Henry Valantine 06 Sep 2023 2:15 PM

Mercedes Lewis Hamilton off the track at the Roggia chicane after clipping the McLaren of Oscar Piastri.

Oscar Piastri has said he was happy to hear Lewis Hamilton “own up” to culpability for their contact at Monza at the weekend, after the seven-time World Champion “apologised immediately” for what happened on Sunday.

Hamilton was looking for a way past the Australian into the Della Roggia Chicane on Sunday but made contact with the front-left of the McLaren driver’s car, sending both drivers into the escape road and damaging Piastri’s front wing.

This forced the rookie into another pit stop and dropped him out of the points come the chequered flag, with Hamilton swiftly receiving a five-second penalty and two penalty points on his super licence for causing a collision.

Oscar Piastri: Lewis Hamilton still ‘just about’ on Christmas card list after Monza crash

Piastri was asked if Hamilton is still on his Christmas card list in the wake of their collision on Sunday while speaking to the F1 Nation podcast, and the McLaren driver remained diplomatic about the experience.

“Yeah, I mean, he apologised immediately and he got a penalty for it,” Piastri said.

“So I’m happy he owned up to it, at least. Of course, ideally, it wouldn’t have happened, but it’s quite easy to do in that corner where you know, we’ve seen it plenty of times.

“So he’s still on there, just about.”

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It was then put to the young rookie by host Tom Clarkson that it seemed like the Italian Grand Prix was a weekend in which he really ‘arrived’ in the sport, having out-qualified team-mate Lando Norris and raced him hard throughout.

But given that Piastri finished outside the points after his contact with Hamilton, he didn’t quite share the same view.

“I don’t know if it’s my arrival in F1 weekend, it certainly doesn’t feel like it now!” He quipped.

“But no, it’s been a good weekend on the whole I think for myself. Qualifying was quite good, the race started well and then went a bit downhill from there.

“But no, I feel like my pace this weekend’s been quite good. So I think from that aspect, quite happy.”