Oscar Piastri demonstrated a keen eye and quick thinking as he avoided a setback which could have cost him the lead of the Hungarian Grand Prix early on.

The McLaren driver was doomed not to finish the race for reasons beyond his control. But he was fully on top of the situation after snatching the lead from team mate Lando Norris at the start.

While Piastri led a queue comprising Norris, Max Verstappen and the Ferrari drivers, his McLaren team was alert to the threat from Lewis Hamilton behind. They summoned Piastri into the pits soon after Hamilton pitted and Verstappen responded.

However as he exited the penultimate corner on lap 15, Piastri spotted the ailing Cadillac of Valtteri Bottas ahead, smoke pouring from its front-left wheel. McLaren did not have time to tell him to stay out but Piastri made the call for himself.

“I was going to get blocked by the Cadillac,” Piastri told his race engineer Tom Stallard after choosing to pass by the pit entrance. Had he come in, he could well have been delayed behind the Cadillac, which Bottas brought to a stop after rounding the long final corner.

Piastri came in the next time by and made his pit stop while retaining the net lead of the race.

Piastri’s radio messages before his first pit stop

Lap: 14/70 PIA: 1’25.681

Stallard
Green shape four, green shape four. Oscar, do you think this is plan A? Hamilton has pitted.

Stallard
Oscar, I need to know, do you think this is plan A?

Piastri
I mean, the tyres look okay, but I am struggling with the rear.

Lap: 15/70 PIA: 1’25.643

Stallard
Verstappen has pitted. Oscar, we need to choose plan A, plan B.

Stallard
Oscar, we think plan A. Use the pace now.

Piastri
Copy.

Stallard
We’re box this lap. Box this lap.

Piastri
Copy, box.

Piastri
Piastri does not pit
I was going to get blocked by the Cadillac.

Lap: 16/70 PIA: 1’28.518

Stallard
Oscar use maximum pace this lap, maximum pace this lap.

Stallard
Use boost now, we’re box this lap.

Piastri
Copy that.

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However Piastri was doomed to lose the lead of the race before his eventual retirement. Having made his second pit stop before Norris, Piastri was pushing to stay close enough to his team mate when he was badly held up by Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz Jnr, tangling with the latter.

Lap: 31/70 PIA: 1’25.843

Stallard
Hamilton’s pitting, Oscar, we need to use pace now, Verstappen last lap did 25.4, tyres a couple of laps older than us?

Piastri
Yeah, I don’t really have any. The car has been super inconsistent on this tyre.

Stallard
Understood. Can see it’s difficult, it’ll get harder with backmarkers, but we just want good pace now, everything we can.

Lap: 34/70 PIA: 1’44.099

Stallard
Oscar this stint, make sure you set up the line for turn three.

Stallard
Albon ahead should get blue flags. Albon ahead will get a blue flag.

Lap: 35/70 PIA: 1’23.896

Stallard
Lando currently one-and-a-half seconds behind your pit window.

Lap: 36/70 PIA: 1’24.135

Stallard
Opportunity turns six-seven, more progressive steer into six if you can.

Lap: 37/70 PIA: 1’25.506

Stallard
Leclerc’s just pitted from ahead of you. There’s three blue flags first.

Stallard
Lando’s doing 24.7.

Stallard
Should get blue flags here.

Lap: 38/70 PIA: 1’26.364

Piastri
Come on, these need to move.

Stallard
We should get blue flags, Sainz and Alonso.

Piastri
Exit turn three
Mate is he fucking stupid or what?

Piastri
Exit turn five
Get out of the fucking way you idiot! Oh my god.

Stallard
Car looks okay. Alonso ahead should get blues, Lando’s on your pit window so use pace now.

Lap: 39/70 PIA: 1’24.402

Stallard
Lando’s pitting this lap.

Lap: 40/70 PIA: 1’24.873

Stallard
So you could use boost, close with Lando. Play it sensible, though.

Stallard
Norris leaves the pits in front of Piastri
Oscar that’s Sainz that’s cost us that. Target is to get to the end on this tyre

Piastri
Ah, mate. It’s better you don’t fucking talk to me now.

Stallard
Understood, I need you to get to the end on this tyre.

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2026 Hungarian Grand Prix
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