Martin Brundle

Brundle reveals Piastri and Sainz clash had SERIOUS hidden impact for Mercedes

The first corner incident took Piastri and Sainz out of the running and severely hampered the Silver Arrows

Joe Ellis

Tuesday 1 August 2023 16:47

Martin Brundle believes that the first-corner clash between Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz in the Belgian GP hampered Mercedes in the long run.

The McLaren and Ferrari drivers collided at La Source, causing Piastri to retire further around the lap and Sainz roughly halfway through with a big hole in his sidepod.

But as Piastri slowed on the run to Eau Rouge, George Russell lost a handful of places by having to slow down to avoid the wounded MCL60.

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He eventually got around him but those few positions and subsequent seconds he lost could have easily cost Mercedes dearly in the constructors' standings.

Brundle: An ever-closing wedge

It all got too lose for comfort at La Source, as it so often does at the start of the Belgian GP

"What I hadn't fully realised until after the race was just how many near misses there were with Piastri's ailing car heading relatively slowly down the hill towards Eau Rouge, and particularly George Russell's Mercedes was affected," Brundle said to Sky Sports.

"That's also likely why Piastri elected not to coast along the fast final sector trying to get back to the pits with a broken steering arm suffered when he clouted the inside wall trying to avoid the Ferrari.

"Piastri was on the inside minding his own business and was quite cautious with a lot of space in front of him.

"That space suddenly became filled with Sainz's Ferrari, but it didn't look like Piastri was hell-bent on making an overtake.

"What he would do next time is get on the brakes earlier rather than coast into an ever-closing wedge, although that can pose risks from those behind."