Oscar Piastri has disclosed that he suffered rib fractures this season simply by operating his McLaren.
The talented young Australian, currently fourth in the 2024 championship rankings, surprised his followers over social media during the August break by posting a startling x-ray without any accompanying explanation.
When questioned about the cause of the injury, Piastri responded at Zandvoort: "Simply from driving!"
The 23-year-old mentioned that the rib injury was due to the impact of G-forces on a poorly tailored seat.
"Obviously we prepare the seat at the beginning of the season and sometimes we mess it up a bit," Piastri explained. "Some tracks don't reveal that, but I think Barcelona, Austria, Silverstone are pretty tough locations for that."
"But now everything is fine again and we also changed the seat. So we're back to normal."
The date on Piastri's x-ray was just after the British Grand Prix in early July, indicating that he endured the discomfort for around three to four races.
"Three, I'd say. I think we messed it up a bit in Barcelona and then with Austria it was quite painful, so it was quite ugly for a few days. But it's all good now," Piastri stated.
As the season progresses, with Max Verstappen leading Lando Norris in the championship by 78 points and ten races remaining, Piastri mentions that McLaren team management sees no need for establishing a definitive driver hierarchy.
"That's not necessary," he commented. "For us it is very clear that we are both number 1 and that we are free to try to achieve the best possible results for the team and for ourselves."
