‘There wasn’t anything left out there’ - Piastri

Oscar Piastri says he left it all out on track in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as he finished second in the race but missed out on the drivers’ championship.

Lando Norris secured his first title with third place on Sunday evening, with Max Verstappen winning from pole position to finish two points adrift of Norris. Piastri was always the outsider as he started the weekend 16 points adrift of the lead, but says he gave himself every opportunity to remain in the title picture.

“There wasn’t anything left out there,” Piastri said. “Obviously, we tried a bit of a gamble on the strategy to give ourselves some different options and hope that the stars aligned to give ourselves the best chance. But ultimately, in the end, that didn’t happen.

“I think, given as well I missed a practice session, it took a little bit to find my feet. I think that was the maximum we could have achieved today. We didn’t have an answer for Max’s pace. So, pretty happy with the weekend. Not much more we could have done.”

Piastri led for the majority of the season, from round five in Saudi Arabia until round 20 in Mexico City, but says he has developed as a driver during his third season in Formula 1.

“Obviously, I would have wished for a slightly different ending, but I think this year I’ve learned a hell of a lot about myself as a race car driver, myself as a person," he said. "I think if you had presented this season at the start of the year with the pole positions and the wins and the podiums, I definitely would have been pretty happy with that.

“Even in the tough moments, I’ve learned a lot about myself and how I can be stronger in the future. So, I think, ultimately, there’s a little bit of disappointment, obviously, but I think I can be very proud of the season I’ve had and plenty of lessons to take to the future.”

With McLaren teammate Norris winning the championship, Piastri says Norris deserves it after coming out on top of a close three-way battle.

“I think [he's] a very deserving winner," he said. "I know that every weekend I go on track, it’s going to be tough. And I think we’ve pushed each other through the last three years. I think especially this season has been tighter than ever.

“He’s had a great season. Probably all three of us, but obviously, myself and Lando in the same team, in the same car, have had our ups and downs at different moments. Ultimately, I think he’s had a good season and a deserving champion.”