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Oscar Piastri had to put his foot down with McLaren engineer in unheard Malaysia radio

Oscar Piastri finished sixth in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix after a late U-turn on tyre choice. McLaren opted to start on the slicks, but it…

F1 Oversteer

Published: Sunday, 4 October 2026 at 7:00 PM

Key Things to Know

Oscar Piastri overruled McLaren's instructions to stay out, insisting on pitting to switch from slicks to intermediates.
McLaren race engineer Tom Stallard later admitted Piastri made the right call to pit early.
Piastri finished the race in sixth position, ahead of teammate Lando Norris in ninth.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Oscar Piastri overruled McLaren's pit wall instructions during a chaotic race start to switch from slick tires to intermediates. Despite the team initially telling him to stay out, Piastri warned that slicks were too slow and insisted on pitting behind the safety car, ultimately finishing in sixth place.

Following the race, McLaren engineer Tom Stallard praised Piastri for demanding the pit stop, confirming it was the correct decision. Piastri finished ahead of teammate Lando Norris, who placed ninth after staying out longer on slick tires.

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Oscar Piastri had to put his foot down with McLaren engineer in unheard Malaysia radio

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