Oscar Piastri said he gave his all on track at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as he missed out on the drivers’ championship despite finishing second in the race.
Lando Norris took third on Sunday night to claim his first title, with Max Verstappen winning from pole position and finishing two points behind Norris. Piastri was always an outsider as he started the weekend 16 points behind the lead, but said he gave himself every opportunity to stay in the title picture.
“There was nothing left there,” Piastri said. “Obviously we tried to gamble a little bit on the strategy, giving ourselves a few different options and hoping that the stars would align and give us the best chance. But in the end, that just didn’t happen.”
“I think it took me a little bit to find my feet, partly because I missed practice sessions, and I think that was the most we could do today. We didn’t have an answer for Max’s pace, so I’m pretty happy with the weekend. There wasn’t much more I could have done.”
Piastri led for much of the season from Round 5 in Saudi Arabia to Round 20 in Mexico City, but says he has grown as a driver in his third year in F1.
“Obviously I would have liked it to have ended a little differently, but I think I learned a tremendous amount about myself as a race car driver and as a person this year,” he said. “If you had announced this season in terms of pole positions, wins and podiums at the beginning of the year, I definitely think you would have been pretty satisfied.
“Even in the tough moments, I learned a lot about myself and how I can be stronger in the future. So I think in the end, of course I’m going to be a little disappointed, but I can be very proud of the season I had and I think I can take a lot of lessons for the future.”
With McLaren teammate Norris taking the championship, Piastri said Norris deserved the win after coming through in a close three-way battle.
“I think (he) is a very deserving winner,” he said. “Every weekend we go to the track, we know it’s going to be tough. And I think we’ve pushed each other the last three years. I think this season in particular, we’ve been tighter than ever.”
“He’s had a great season, probably all three of us, but myself and Lando, both on the same team and in the same car, have had our ups and downs at different moments. Ultimately, I think he’s had a good season and deserves to be champion.”
