“Just try and get the most out of it I can, I think. I think today, the penalty was one thing, but I don’t think the pace was at a level that I wanted it to be,” Piastri said of the title race.
“The second half of the race potentially was not too bad, but the first stint was a little bit tough. Just trying to get back on top of things with that, and just try and have the best weekends we can.”
The next Grand Prix is in Las Vegas in two weeks’ time.
Race stewards, in a statement, declared Piastri “wholly responsible” and also gave him two penalty points on his licence, but Leclerc said the incident was completely Piastri’s fault.
“Oscar was optimistic but Kimi knew that Oscar was on the inside, I think, and he kind of did the corner like Oscar was never there,” Leclerc said on Sky Sports.
“For me the blame is not all on Oscar. Yes, it was optimistic, but this could have been avoided. I’m frustrated. At the end of the day I’m not angry with Oscar or Kimi, these things happen, but I wouldn’t go as far as saying that it’s all Oscar’s fault. I don’t think it is.”
Mercedes’ Antonelli hung on for a career-best second place, while teammate George Russell finished in fourth.
With Reuters
