Piastri’s untelevised team radio reveals tense Bahrain GP moment

The incident between Piastri and Albon passed largely under the radar during the race, as the television broadcast did not capture the moment on the approach to the pit lane. Under Virtual Safety Car conditions, Albon suddenly reduced his speed with the McLaren directly behind, forcing Piastri to react quickly to avoid the Williams.

Albon's slowdown was connected to the VSC delta. The Williams driver realised he was travelling too quickly compared to the required time and needed to slow significantly before reaching the Safety Car and pit-entry line. From Piastri's perspective, however, the situation looked very different from inside the cockpit, with the Australian immediately believing he had been brake-checked.

Piastri quickly turned to his race engineer Tom Stallard for clarification, asking whether he was allowed to pass on the way into the pits. “Can I overtake on pit entry? Can I overtake on pit entry?” he asked over the radio, with Stallard confirming that he could.

The McLaren driver then made his feelings about Albon's actions clear, telling Stallard: “Got brake-checked by Albon massively.” McLaren immediately took note of the complaint, with Stallard responding: “Copy, we’ll look at it.”

The incident subsequently attracted the attention of the FIA, with both drivers summoned to the stewards after the chequered flag over a possible case of erratic driving. Following a review of the data and the explanations provided by both sides, the stewards found no reason to penalise Albon and took no further action. Piastri also accepted the Williams driver's explanation once the situation was clarified.

Piastri eventually crossed the line in sixth place, three positions ahead of team-mate Lando Norris in ninth. It capped a difficult weekend for McLaren, who never showed the pace required to challenge for a podium, let alone fight for victory.