Oscar Piastri grid joke backfires as David Coulthard questions McLaren future

David Coulthard reflected on the comment which Oscar Piastri made to him about actually being on the grid this time at the Chinese Grand Prix. Shortly after, it emerged that he would not take the start.

Coulthard remarked that the “wheels have truly come off the wagon” for McLaren to have neither car in a position to start the Chinese GP. He also dropped an ominous “light bulb” analogy to suggest that Piastri and Lando Norris could consider their futures, if what lays ahead for McLaren is not much brighter.

Oscar Piastri joke and David Coulthard McLaren concerns

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Neither McLaren MCL40 took the start, owing to electrical problems within the Mercedes power unit. It is a PU which McLaren had been referencing with talk of progress earlier in the race weekend, having called out a lack of information from Mercedes HPP back in Melbourne.

“We have to talk McLaren, my old team, the highs of the last couple of years to, well, it’s been pretty dismal, hasn’t it,” said Coulthard on the Up To Speed podcast.

“And the wheels have truly come off the wagon in that to have both cars not starting the Grand Prix.”

Norris’ car never left the garage, but Piastri completed his lap to the grid.

“I spoke to Oscar as he was walking away from the grid to go for a toilet break, and he made the comment, ‘Well, at least I’ve made the grid this time’,” Coulthard reflected.

“Little did he know, by the time he got back from the toilet, his car was off the grid.

“So, the cars are clearly unreliable. They’re pointing the finger at their engine supplier, which is Mercedes Benz. How quickly things change.”

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Piastri made another jovial comment, this time in the media pen, where he mentioned this being the first time in a long time that he has been able to watch back-to-back F1 races.

That comment was brought up to Coulthard. It was also put to him that it is unimaginable how Piastri must be feeling inside.

Coulthard responded by dropping an ominous hint over how Piastri and Norris could see their futures at McLaren, if the hard times remain.

“Well, I think there will be a lot of questions there, about not only the short-term future, but taking a longer term view of where their opportunities lie.

“Race drivers are light bulbs. They get screwed in when they shine bright, and they get taken out. And in the same way a team can do that to a driver, a driver can do it to a team.”

Talk of either McLaren driver questioning their future feels highly premature.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has backed the mindset of both drivers, as they look to respond from the agony of that double DNS.

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