The proof that Oscar Piastri was ROBBED at China Grand Prix as Aussie reveals the McLaren weakness holding him back
- Was forced to surrender position in controversial circumstances
Oscar Piastri may have been robbed of a crucial position during the China Grand Prix weekend - and new footage appears to back up the Australian's case.
The McLaren driver was forced to hand a place back to Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli during the closing stages of the sprint race after officials deemed his move illegal under safety car restart rules.
But onboard footage from the final corner has sparked fresh controversy, with the video appearing to show Antonelli running wide before Piastri surged past him on the inside.
Under Formula One regulations, drivers are only prevented from overtaking under safety car conditions unless the car ahead has gone off the track – something several commentators believe happened in this case.
Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve was among those who blasted the decision, arguing Antonelli had forfeited his right to the position.
'Antonelli went off the track, so at that point, you've given up the right to stay ahead,' he said.
Australia's Oscar Piastri was ordered to surrender his position at the China GP by McLaren
It came after Piastri overtook eventual pole position winner Kimi Antonelli during the closing stages of the sprint race
Footage has shown that Piastri may have been entitled to complete the pass because Antonelli went off the track
'He was more than five car lengths behind the car ahead. You're supposed to stay within five car lengths, and he wasn't any more.
'So what should Piastri have done? Hit the brakes and create mayhem behind? Something has to be looked into there.'
Despite the drama, Piastri ultimately finished sixth in the sprint race after being told by McLaren to relinquish the position.
The Australian, however, refused to dwell on the controversy and instead pointed to a bigger problem affecting his team.
McLaren's car simply doesn't have the grip to challenge the front-runners.
Speaking after qualifying for Sunday's main race in Shanghai, Piastri admitted the team's position on the grid reflected their true pace.
'I think where we've ended up is pretty representative,' he said.
'We've got a little bit closer, but we're still half a second off, so it's not like where we're even really in the mix at the moment.
It comes as McLaren continues to struggle to keep up with the Mercedes and Ferrari vehicles
'So we've got some some grip to find, I think. That seems to be the biggest thing.
'But unfortunately, you can't make up the grip you don't have.'
Pole position went to Antonelli, who at just 19 years and 201 days old became the youngest pole sitter in Formula One history, beating the record previously held by Sebastian Vettel.
Mercedes locked out the front row with George Russell alongside the teenage sensation, while Ferrari stars Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will start third and fourth.
Piastri had briefly threatened to break into the front row during qualifying, but a messy final lap left him half a second off the pace.
'My last lap, I had a pretty big moment out of Turn 1,' he revealed.
While McLaren remains clearly the third-fastest team in the field, the gap to Mercedes – and even Ferrari – remains significant.
'I would be a bit surprised if we can match them,' Piastri admitted.
