Oscar Piastri says the puncture at Singapore actually gave him the edge to slip past Lewis Hamilton for fifth.
He was stranded in sixth, 20 seconds off Hamilton’s third place and seven behind teammate Lando Norris, when a virtual safety car rolled out on lap 39 after Lance Stroll retired with a clutch problem.
Despite running the oldest tyres among the leaders, Hamilton stayed out on worn softs. Piastri, on mediums just 15 laps newer, suffered a slow leak that forced a second pit stop on lap 41.
Rejoining on fresh softs, Piastri trailed Hamilton by 37 seconds but was two seconds per lap quicker, closing the gap by the penultimate lap. The Ferrari driver held his line, yet the red‑walled tyres ran out of juice at the end of his 44‑lap stint.
Piastri noted that was about as far as he could push; the race boiled down to track position. For my money, staying out was the right call.
He added that, despite the shame of a puncture, it oddly worked in his favor, letting him snag Hamilton at the finish – a silver lining indeed.
Oscar Piastri – McLaren.
The Australian explained that once you’re up front, tyre temperatures can spike and you risk getting stuck.
He said missing the pass would have left him disappointed, so the surge added excitement to an otherwise solitary race.
Team boss Andrea Stella said the cause of the slow leak remains unknown and McLaren will investigate with Pirelli.
Stella called it a rare incident, the first slow puncture he’s heard of this year. He warned that while it cost Piastri little today, a tighter battle could turn it into a major time loss, and stressed it isn’t a team‑specific problem.
The lonely race marked Piastri’s 13th straight Grand Prix without a podium, his longest drought since his 2023 rookie debut.
Overall, the 2025 title hopeful has amassed 28 podiums in 57 starts.
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– The Team