McLaren’s Oscar Piastri crashes out on the way to the grid for Formula 1’s Australian GP

By Canadian Press on March 7, 2026.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — McLaren’s Oscar Piastri has crashed out of Sunday’s Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix on the way to the grid, ruling him out of his home race.

Piastri crashed entering turn four, and hit the barrier before stopping on the opposite side of the track. He appeared to be uninjured from the crash but his car was heavily damaged.

McLaren will now run with just one car, Lando Norris, with the race starting at 3 p.m. local time.

George Russell starts on pole position for Sunday’s race ahead of his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Stewart Bell, The Associated Press