FIA Stewards Explain 10-Second Penalty for Oscar Piastri
The FIA stewards have provided an explanation for the 10-second penalty imposed on McLaren driver Oscar Piastri during the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix. The penalty was issued due to his involvement in a three-car collision with Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc.
During a safety car restart on lap six, Piastri, who was in fourth place, attempted to overtake Antonelli and Leclerc on the inside of Turn 1. This maneuver resulted in a three-wide situation as Piastri aimed to pass both drivers and rejoin the pursuit of leader Lando Norris.
However, Piastri locked up his front-left tyre, causing him to slide into Antonelli. This contact pushed the Italian driver between Piastri’s McLaren and Leclerc’s Ferrari, leading to further damage as Antonelli collided with Leclerc.
Leclerc suffered significant damage, losing his front-left tyre and sustaining terminal suspension damage, which forced him to retire from the race. Meanwhile, both Piastri and Antonelli emerged without any damage.
Following a review, the FIA stewards concluded that Piastri was entirely responsible for the incident. As a result, he received a 10-second time penalty to be served at his first pit stop, which dropped him from second to fifth place. Additionally, Piastri was given two penalty points on his licence.
In their official statement, the stewards highlighted that Piastri did not establish the required overlap alongside Antonelli before entering the corner. They noted that the Australian driver locked up his brakes while attempting to avoid contact, but was unable to do so and ended up making contact with Antonelli.
“At the safety car restart on Lap 6, Car 81 (Oscar Piastri) attempted to overtake Car 12 (Kimi Antonelli) on the inside of Turn 1,” the statement read. “In doing so, PIA did not establish the required overlap prior to and at the apex, as his front axle was not alongside the mirror of Car 12, as defined in the Driving Standard Guidelines for overtaking on the inside of a corner.”
“PIA locked the brakes as he attempted to avoid contact by slowing, but was unable to do so and made contact with ANT. This contact caused ANT to make secondary contact with Car 16 (Charles Leclerc), who was positioned on the outside and was forced to retire from the race as a result.”
“PIA was therefore wholly responsible for the collision. A 10-second time penalty and 2 penalty points are considered appropriate and consistent with recent precedents.”
Impact on Championship Standings
By finishing in fifth place, Piastri saw his lead over McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris increase to 24 points with three rounds remaining. Norris secured his seventh grand prix win of 2025, further extending his advantage in the championship.
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