McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has continued to maintain his innocence regarding the 10-second penalty he received during the 2025 British Grand Prix, which effectively handed the win to his teammate, Lando Norris.
It was a frantic race at Silverstone with rain being a major factor, along with multiple safety cars and pit stops for the drivers to navigate. Having started the race in P2, Piastri didn’t need very long to get past Max Verstappen and take control of the race.
As a full safety car came to an end, Piastri became the pace-setter on the hangar straight and a sudden deceleration caused Verstappen to fly past the McLaren and temporarily take the lead. The Red Bull‘s onboard camera showed that he was not far from crashing into the back of Piastri, given the wet track limited visibility for those behind the leader.
Piastri was quickly noted for erratic driving under safety car conditions, and it only took a few laps for them to hand the Australian a 10-second time penalty.
Piastri less than impressed with FIA ruling
With the stewards explaining their decision after the race, some key numbers emerged. Piastri slowed from 218 kph to 52 kph and used significant brake pressure – 60 PSI.
According to the FIA Sporting Regulations, Article 55.15, any driver leading the pack after the safety car lights are switched off must proceed at a pace that does not involve erratic braking or any manoeuvre that could endanger other competitors.
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Piastri expressed his confusion during the race on the radio, but the facts were that with Norris just three seconds behind, he would need some luck to hold onto the win. He served the penalty during his final pit stop and that allowed Norris to move ahead, eventually winning the race by almost six seconds.
Speaking to fellow podium-sitter Nico Hulkenberg in the cooldown room after the race, as captured by Sky Sports F1, Piastri claimed to have done the same action after previous safety cars.
“I got a 10 second-penalty for braking behind the Safety Car. I hit the brakes basically as the lights went out on the Safety Car, so then I didn’t accelerate, and apparently that gets you a 10-second penalty,” he said.
Piastri also spoke to Sky immediately after the race and said: “Yeah, I’m not gonna say much. I’ll get myself in trouble, so… well done, to Hulkenberg. I think that’s the highlight of the day, so… yeah, I’ll leave it there.”
He was pressed further on the penalty, to which he said: “Yeah, I mean, apparently you can’t brake behind the safety car anymore. I mean, I did it for five laps before that and… again, I’m not gonna say too much ’cause I’ll get myself in trouble.
“But thanks to the crowd for a great event. Thanks for sticking through the weather. I still like Silverstone, even if I don’t like it today – so thanks for coming out.”
With Norris winning the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend, the gap between the two McLaren‘s at the top of the Drivers’ Championship is now just eight points, with two races to go until the break.
