Oscar Piastri Slams George Russell Not Being Able to Handle “Dirty Air” as He Takes a Swipe at the FIA Post Fernando Alonso Penalty

The Fernando Alonso and George Russell incident from the Australian Grand Prix has caused quite a stir. The harsh 20-second penalty imposed by the stewards on Alonso for causing Russell’s crash has left the grid divided. While Russell naturally feels that the penalty was warranted, some other drivers on the grid do not. McLaren Ace Oscar Piastri is one of them and has made sure he voices his opinion strongly.

During Lap 58 in Melbourne, Fernando Alonso braked twice before a corner with Russell behind him. There was no contact between their cars but the Briton still ended up in the gravel and into the barriers. Analysts concluded that the dirty air from Alonso’s Aston Martin caused Russell’s W15 to lose balance. Still, Russell blamed the 2-time champion’s unusual maneuver.

As a result of the crash, the FIA investigated the matter and penalized Alonso. That led to the Spaniard losing 2 places and a whole rigamarole to follow. “Imposing a penalty for this potentially sets a very, very sensitive precedent for everyone,” Piastri told the media in Japan, addressing the FIA’s actions.

The Australian even emphasized that there was “no contact” between the cars. “I could understand it if George had tried to avoid Fernando and went off the track,” said Piastri. But Russell was only influenced by the “dirty air” from the AMR24. “So I was a little surprised by the penalty,” he concluded. While the FIA’s questionable decision left him uncomfortable, his hopes for the Japanese GP brought back his smile.

Oscar Piastri makes Japanese GP prediction for McLaren

McLaren is off to a much better start in 2024 compared to last year. They look like the 3rd quickest team on the grid, behind Red Bull and Ferrari. The Australian GP 3-4 finish was a delight for them. And Oscar Piastri reckons that they will remain strong at Suzuka this weekend.

“I think we were a little bit surprised with our competitiveness in Melbourne and hopefully we will be positively surprised again here,” Piastri told reporters in Japan. He added, “It was a good track for us last year but other teams, namely Ferrari, will be more competitive than last year. I think we should be pretty strong, but just how strong we are we will wait and see.”

With a quick MCL8 under him, Piastri could fight for a podium at Suzuka if Red Bull or Ferrari suffers a DNF. But can he leave his teammate Lando Norris in the dust?

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