Piastri praised; Alonso finishes
At Suzuka this weekend Oscar Piastri earned Driver of the Day after a smart, strategic run to P2 — his best of the season — drawing praise across the paddock. (motorsport.com) Fernando Alonso finally saw the chequered flag after repeated reliability issues, marking an important milestone for Aston Martin and Honda as the F1 calendar pauses for a five‑week break after cancellations in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. ( )
Fans gave Piastri the largest share of the Driver of the Day vote — he collected 27.36% of the public vote in the F1 poll. (formula1.com) Piastri launched from P3 into the lead at Turn 1 and that Suzuka weekend marked his first Grand Prix start of the 2026 season after DNSs in Australia and China. (formula1.com) McLaren team principal Andrea Stella called it “the best version” of Piastri and admitted the team were surprised by the car’s pace at Suzuka. (skysports.com) The second-place finish added 18 championship points to Piastri’s tally, but a mid-race safety-car triggered by Oliver Bearman’s heavy Spoon-curve shunt reshuffled the pit-window and denied him a clearer shot at victory. (formula1.com) Bearman suffered a ~50G impact and limped away before being cleared by the medical centre, the incident having directly produced the safety-car period that changed strategy at the front. (espn.com) Fernando Alonso brought Aston Martin home in 18th — a lap down and the team’s first classified finish of the 2026 season — while teammate Lance Stroll recorded a retirement. (formula1.com) Honda’s trackside manager Shintaro Orihara described Alonso’s finish as a “first good step” for reliability, though technical chief Krack warned it was “no reason to celebrate” as pace and comfort remain issues. (si.com) Formula 1 confirmed there will now be a five‑week gap before the next round after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were cancelled amid Middle East security concerns. (formula1.com)
