Method One F1 – Bahrain Grand Prix – Bahrain Worldwide Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain – March 4, 2023 McLaren’s Oscar Piastri within the pits throughout qualifying Pool by way of REUTERS/Giuseppe Cacace
MANAMA—Australian Oscar Piastri’s Method One debut lasted 14 laps earlier than his McLaren was wheeled into the storage with {an electrical} drawback in Sunday’s Bahrain season-opener.
The 21-year-old had complained over the radio of gearbox issues and was advised the mechanics would swap his steering wheel when he pitted.
The cease then dragged on, with the pit crew ready because the seconds ticked by after the tyres had been modified and nothing occurred.
Piastri was the primary retirement of what is going to be a file 23-race season.
“It was disappointing to have completed so quickly. We had been going fairly nicely, obtained an honest begin and made some good overtakes,” he mentioned.
“I believed up till {the electrical} drawback, we had been doing a very good job.
“We hoped altering the steering wheel would repair it however sadly it didn’t.”
Piastri, who has changed compatriot Daniel Ricciardo on the staff, mentioned he had nonetheless discovered so much from the expertise.
“There are positives to take and the automotive appeared to have higher tempo within the race,” he mentioned.
Teammate Lando Norris was the final of the finishers, in seventeenth place and two laps down on Purple Bull’s race winner and reigning champion Max Verstappen.
His automotive had suffered a pneumatic stress leak within the energy unit that meant he needed to pit each 10 laps to recharge the system.
“We had a number of points we needed to handle, which actually took us out of the race however we tried to remain in it for so long as attainable, simply in case there was a Security Automobile or one thing,” he mentioned.
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