Oscar Piastri is relieved that he is not the only driver on the grid who found his ten-second penalty in Brazil too harsh. Many Formula 1 drivers – including Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc – have defended the Australian, after he was identified by the stewards as the main culprit for the pile-up with Leclerc and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. “I’m fortunate that many people have already spoken up for me,” says Piastri, who is keen to discuss the matter further with the FIA.
On the eve of the GP Las Vegas, Oscar Piastri’s ten-second penalty in Brazil continues to stir up controversy. The Australian was penalized for a pile-up with Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc following the restart in the opening stages of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Piastri was identified by the stewards as the main culprit for the incident because his ‘front axle was not alongside Antonelli’s Mercedes mirror’ and he ‘locked the brakes’.
The McLaren driver is pleased that several of his colleagues – including Carlos Sainz and even Charles Leclerc, the ultimate victim of the pile-up – believe the Australian’s time penalty was unjust. “I think I’m lucky that many people have already spoken up for me,” the driver says in Las Vegas. “If one of my fellow drivers is involved in the accident and says it’s not your fault, then I think that’s a pretty good indication that it indeed isn’t,” Piastri refers to Leclerc’s defense. The Monegasque previously suggested that Piastri was as much to blame for the incident as Kimi Antonelli: ‘Kimi knew that Oscar was on the inside, and you can’t take a corner like that’.
In Discussion with the FIA
According to Piastri, his time penalty is likely to be a topic of discussion during the next Drivers’ Briefing in Las Vegas. “It’s something we’ll definitely talk about with the FIA, just to get a bit more insight,” says the driver. “I think it was a bit of a surprise for everyone here that this penalty was so harsh, including for me. So I’m sure we’ll talk about it.”
