McLaren’s Oscar Piastri Penalized in British GP Safety Car Incident
At the British Grand Prix, FIA stewards imposed a pivotal 10-second penalty on McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, altering the race’s outcome. The incident occurred during a safety car restart on lap 21 of 52, where Piastri, who had been leading, abruptly braked on Hangar Straight as the safety car lights extinguished, causing second-placed Max Verstappen to take avoiding action.
The stewards noted that Piastri’s braking was erratic, registering 59.2 psi of brake pressure, which reduced his speed from 218 km/h to 52 km/h. This deviation led them to determine that he had violated Article 55.15 of the FIA Sporting Regulations, which mandates a steady pace and prohibits erratic maneuvers during safety car conditions.
“The incident resulted in Car 1 unavoidably overtaking Car 81, a position which he gave back immediately,” the stewards stated. However, they concluded that Piastri’s actions endangered other drivers, warranting the penalty.
Furious with the decision, Piastri remarked, “Apparently you can’t brake behind the safety car anymore… I did it for five laps before that.” His penalty ultimately allowed teammate Lando Norris to secure victory, leaving Piastri’s championship lead reduced to eight points after finishing second.
The race underscored ongoing debates regarding safety car regulations and drivers’ responsibilities during restarts, a contentious topic in recent events, highlighted by previous incidents involving drivers like George Russell.
