Oscar Piastri described the cooldown room after the 2024 Belgian GP as his most awkward moment, following George Russell’s disqualification.
The 2024 Belgian Grand Prix ended dramatically for George Russell, who crossed the line first but was disqualified after his car was found underweight during checks. This promoted Lewis Hamilton to victory and moved Oscar Piastri to second.
The Australian has recently revealed feeling awkward and choosing not to engage with Hamilton in the cooldown room, given the unexpected outcome.
Oscar Piastri called the cooldown room after the 2024 Belgian GP the most awkward he’s ever experienced. George Russell had initially won, with Lewis Hamilton second and Piastri third, but Russell’s car was later found 1.5kgs underweight, resulting in his disqualification.
As they waited for the decision, the atmosphere was tense because the race outcome was uncertain, making the 23-year-old hesitant to engage with Hamilton. The discomfort stemmed from knowing the result could change dramatically due to Russell’s disqualification.
The most awkward cooldown room…I mean, I’ve not been in that many, but the most awkward one was after Spa, where George won and Lewis finished second. I finished third on the road, and then, of course, George got disqualified. It was tense.
Oscar Piastri told Cosmopolitan UK
Piastri praised Hamilton’s performance at Spa, noting he drove a great race. The Briton started third, quickly overtook Sergio Perez, and was in a strong position to win. He showed impressive speed and skill, especially since his teammate Russell was leading.
However, after the 26-year-old’s disqualification, Hamilton was promoted to first place, which created a bittersweet feeling for him. The Aussie understood the 39-year-old’s emotions, recognizing the difficulty of celebrating a victory that came from another driver’s misfortune.
Lewis drove a great race. In a lot of circumstances, he should have won that race pretty comfortably, so I understood exactly how he was feeling at that point.
Oscar Piastri stated
Lewis Hamilton was not in a ‘chatty mood’ after the Belgian GP
Seeing his teammate in such a heartbreaking situation was tough for Lewis Hamilton. George Russell’s disqualification not only robbed him of the win but also cost Mercedes crucial points, as they were positioned for a 1-2 finish. The seven-time-world champion likely felt undeserving of the victory despite driving a strong race.
Piastri noticed this and chose not to engage with the Briton, allowing him the space to process his emotions. Instead, the 23-year-old quietly watched the race highlights, respecting Hamilton’s need to be alone at that moment.
I could very much sense that Lewis did not want to be…, he wasn’t in a chatty mood, so I just watched and looked at the highlights in silence and kept to myself
Oscar Piastri explained
Certainly, The 2024 Belgian Grand Prix was a crucial lesson for George Russell and the Mercedes Formula 1 team. Toto Wolff admitted they didn’t expect a 1-2 finish, especially given their earlier struggles this season. Keeping in view everything that has been discussed, it is safe to say that the incident emphasized the need for better strategies to avoid mistakes like this in the future.
