Australian F1 star Oscar Piastri gasped as the jetpack stuntman crashed at the Austrian Grand Prix

Australian F1 star Oscar Piastri has been stunned after a jetpack stuntman crashed while doing a lap around the track just before the Austrian Grand Prix.

Three jetpack-wielding stuntmen wowed the crowd, which was bathed in orange for Dutchman Max Verstappen, as they made a full lap around the Red Bull Ring track in picturesque Spielberg, Austria.

However, one of the men fell from the sky in shocking scenes, leaving Piastri stunned and incredulous as he watched from the pits.

Just as he came in to land on the tarmac, the jetpack seemed to fail and the hapless pilot was helpless; dropping it on the track, then rolling and finally skidding to a stop.

Fortunately, the man immediately got up, punched the air, and waved to the crowd as he limped away from the scene.

This jetpack lookalike lost control just before landing on the runway, leaving onlookers in shock.

The stuntman was not seriously injured and was able to limp off the track after falling hard.

With F1’s official social media accounts highlighting ‘The Office’ Piastri’s camera reaction to the crash, referring to the iconic TV comedy series, the Australian joked that he wasn’t the only one having a hard time. on the track.

“He wasn’t the only one who had a tough day,” Piastri said after further car trouble saw him finish 16th, with a penalty-marred race wreaking havoc in qualifying.

Fans, after seeing that the stuntman was doing well, were quick to praise Piastri’s ‘invaluable’ reaction in a nod to the cult hit TV show with Steve Carrell and John Krasinksi, and the unique pre-race entertainment.

‘Well done @OscarPiastri/Michael Scott? #TheOffice I’m glad the jetpack pilot wasn’t literally blown away by the turbulence of the magnificence of him. In other words: I’m glad you’re okay! But hey, did you just commit a track limit violation? Or are air shortcuts allowed?’ one joked.

“Oscar’s reaction was everything,” said one fan, with another expressing his adoration for the Aussie rookie: “Love this kid, one look into the camera John Krasinski would be proud of.”

I’ve never seen someone stumble in midair before! commented another, with one fan turning it into a meme by captioning it: ‘Addressing Monday as:’.

Lando Norris (right) managed to get into the top six thanks to improvements and good driving, but Piastri (left) stayed near the bottom of the standings again.

The Red Bull Ring in picturesque Austria was bathed in orange, but not for McLaren’s papaya; it went to the victorious Dutchman Max Verstappen (pictured)

While teammate Lando Norris benefited from significant upgrades to his McLaren to finish fifth, Piastri was not so lucky.

While he managed to avoid being one of the drivers given a five-second penalty for overshooting the white lines in the difficult corners at turns nine and 10 respectively, Piastri was left ‘frustrated’ at having to drive the previous specification of the car. . while Norris reaped the rewards of the equipment upgrade.

He also had to make an extra pitstop after sustaining damage to his front wing in a corner, but given the start of his F1 career, he’s happy enough, apart from some bad mistakes in qualifying, which cost him a place in the Top-10. shooting

“The weather has been a big factor this weekend, and Lando and I have had different cars, so it’s been a bit tricky to compare between cars,” Piastri said after the race.

‘Race wise, I need to look back and see if there is anything I could have done to improve my race pace a bit.

“Obviously it’s difficult without direct comparison (with Norris), but I was very happy with the weekend, apart from the mistakes in qualifying and stuff.

The paddock will then head to Silverstone for McLaren’s home grand prix, where it is hoped Piastri can also benefit from the upgrades that worked so well for Norris.