Oscar Piastri, the McLaren driver, expressed his shock at receiving a 10-second penalty for a collision at the Brazil Grand Prix last Sunday, and he expects further discussions with Formula 1 officials to understand the decision. Race stewards confirmed Piastri was "fully responsible" for the incident and penalized him with two penalty points and the time penalty. However, his penalty faced criticism from fellow drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Piastri commented to journalists yesterday (Wednesday), before next week's Las Vegas Grand Prix: “Fortunately, many people spoke on my behalf... I believe that when one of my fellow drivers has an incident and says it’s not your fault, that’s a very good indicator."
The Australian driver also discussed his early collision with Mercedes driver Esteban Ocon, which caused Charles Leclerc to exit the race. Piastri finished fifth in the race won by his teammate and title rival Lando Norris. The 23-year-old hinted that McLaren and the FIA will seek clarification on how stewards reached their decision and whether the sanction guidelines need reviewing.
He emphasized the importance of understanding the logic behind the penalty to improve consistency and stated: “The only thing we can do in such situations is try to understand the reasoning behind it, and whether there is a need to change it or not." Past discussions among drivers, teams, and officials about accidents and penalties have been generally constructive, and Piastri expects the same this time. He concluded, “It was very acceptable in the past, and I am sure it will be in the future.”
