Sports · Motorsport · 20 hrs ago
Piastri blames late tyre switch for 12th in Brazil qualifying
Oscar Piastri qualified 12th in a rain-soaked session at Interlagos for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver said the team switched to intermediate tyres too late, leaving him short of the extra lap he believed was needed to warm them up.
He had advanced from the first qualifying segment on full wet tyres, but conditions improved in the next segment and teams changed tyres.
A crash brought out a red flag before Piastri could make another attempt, though he said the interruption affected everyone and was not the only factor.
Penalties for Ferrari drivers lift him to 10th on the starting grid.
His teammate Lando Norris took pole position, while Piastri faces a difficult recovery if rain returns during the race.
The race-day weather will shape his chances of moving up the field.
Oscar Piastri qualified 12th for the Brazilian Grand Prix after a rain-affected session at Interlagos.
He will start 10th after penalties for Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Piastri said McLaren switched him to intermediate tyres too late and that he needed another lap to get them up to temperature.
The Sydney Morning Herald said a red flag following Rafael Camara’s crash ended Piastri’s qualifying chance early.
Heavy rain caused qualifying to be red-flagged shortly after it began, and the session later resumed after a lengthy delay.
- Who
- Oscar Piastri, driving for McLaren.
- What
- He qualified 12th in a rain-affected Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying session and is set to start 10th after Ferrari penalties.
- When
- November 7, 2026.
- Where
- Interlagos, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
- Why
- Piastri said McLaren switched to intermediate tyres too late. The Sydney Morning Herald attributed his early exit to a red flag after Rafael Camara’s crash.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying got underway at Interlagos.
The FIA red-flagged qualifying as heavy rain fell.
Qualifying was confirmed to resume after a lengthy delay.
Piastri said McLaren had switched to intermediate tyres too late; he qualified 12th and was set to start 10th after Ferrari penalties.
- Piastri’s qualifying position
- 12th
- Piastri’s expected starting position
- 10th, after penalties for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
- Qualifying venue
- Interlagos, Sao Paulo
- Qualifying start
- 15:00 local time
- Red flag
- Two minutes and 23 seconds into the session
5 sources
Piastri questions tyre call after another Q2 exit
Oscar Piastri explains what led to Brazilian GP qualifying disappointment
Red flag duds Piastri's qualifying chance
Heavy rain causes chaos before Qualifying is red flagged in Sao Paulo!
Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying red flagged after huge storm hits Sao Paulo
What people are saying
I'd just finished a lap, but I think we probably went onto the inters a little bit too late and needed that extra lap or two to really get some temperature in them
Everyone would have got another lap, so I'm not sure. I think there was definitely a lot more time out there, but you just need to be on the right tyre at the right time.
We'll see what weather we get first and go from there. I think it's going to be very challenging in the rain, so let's see what we get