Oscar Piastri out of Australian GP after dramatic crash on way to grid

March 8, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Motorsport photo

Oscar Piastri will not take part in his Australian Grand Prix home race after crashing his McLaren Formula 1 car on his lap to the grid.

Some 40 minutes before the race Piastri left the pits for the customary laps to the grid as teams conduct their final checks before taking up their grid positions.

Visit hilogame.news for more information.

But coming out of the Turn 4 left-hander, Piastri suddenly lost control over his McLaren as he crossed the exit kerbs, with his MCL40 spinning and veering into the wall on drivers' left.

Piastri escaped without injury, but destroyed the front-end of his McLaren, with terminal damage to his right-front wheel and suspension, forcing the Australian to park his car on the spot as he dejectedly walked away from the scene.

Piastri had qualified fifth for his home race and was due to share the third row with team-mate Lando Norris.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

The crash was a huge blow to the Australian fans, with a record crowd turning out to cheer the Melbourne native on. The sold-out Piastri grandstand on the main straight overlooking the McLaren garage, which had been cheering its driver's exit from the pitlane, fell silent in one fell swoop.

Mercedes driver George Russell will start from pole at Albert Park ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli, with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar third.

Photos from Australian GP - Sunday

Zak Brown, McLaren

Martin Keep / AFP via Getty Images

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing

Jayce Illman / Getty Images

Cadillac F1 Team CEO Dan Towriss walks in the paddock with his wife Cassidy

Kym Illman / Getty Images

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Mario Renzi / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Mario Renzi / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Mark Reuss, President, General Motors in the Paddock

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Entertainers

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Jayce Illman / Getty Images

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Peter Bayer, Racing Bulls

Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

Peter Bayer, Racing Bulls

Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

Alexander Albon, Williams

Martin Keep / AFP via Getty Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Jack Doohan, Haas F1 Team

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Alexander Albon, Williams

Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Kym Illman / Getty Images

Lando Norris, McLaren

Kym Illman / Getty Images

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Kym Illman / Getty Images

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing

Martin Keep / AFP via Getty Images

Sam Brabham drives a Brabham BT-19 on track

Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

The 2026 F1 drivers photo

Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

The 2026 F1 drivers photo

Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

The 2026 F1 drivers photo

Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Read full story at source