Oscar Piastri’s championship ambitions suffered a devastating blow at Interlagos after the Australian was slapped with a 10-second penalty for triggering a multi-car collision during the Brazilian Grand Prix. His daring attempt to overtake at Turn One ended in chaos when a locked brake sent his McLaren into Kimi Antonelli, setting off a chain reaction that also eliminated Charles Leclerc. The penalty effectively destroyed his race, relegating him to fifth while teammate and title rival Lando Norris stormed to victory — extending his lead in the standings to 24 points with just three rounds left.
The verdict ignited fierce debate across the paddock and among commentators. Sky Sports’ David Croft declared the penalty “doesn’t sit right,” while Alex Brundle echoed the sentiment, arguing that Piastri had established sufficient overlap to deserve racing room. Piastri himself maintained that Antonelli “left me no space,” insisting the move was justified given the opening available. Many pundits, including Karun Chandhok and Jamie Chadwick, called the incident a “racing clash,” suggesting that Antonelli could have exercised more spatial awareness rather than cutting across.
Charles Leclerc, whose race ended prematurely in the melee, also voiced sympathy for Piastri, conceding that “the blame isn’t all on Oscar.” Meanwhile, Antonelli defended his line, contending that Piastri’s lock-up left him little choice to avoid impact. Despite widespread condemnation of the decision, the FIA stewards upheld the ruling, adding two penalty points to Piastri’s superlicence and citing insufficient overlap per the updated driving standards.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella urged calm reflection rather than outrage, acknowledging that while the sanction was “frustrating,” Piastri’s struggles extended beyond the penalty. The Australian’s pace once again lagged behind Norris, prompting Stella to stress the need for consistency under low-grip conditions — an area that has repeatedly tested Piastri’s adaptability. He vowed to focus on refining the young driver’s execution and strategic approach for the remaining races.
With just three Grands Prix remaining — Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi — Piastri faces a monumental task to recover his championship hopes. Norris leads with 390 points, Piastri trails on 366, and Verstappen lurks with 341. The Interlagos penalty not only stripped momentum from Piastri’s campaign but also intensified scrutiny on F1’s stewarding consistency, reigniting the age-old argument over where aggression ends and fairness begins on the racetrack.
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