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Multiple senior Formula One drivers have called for an urgent meeting with the FIA after Oscar Piastri was slapped with what they described as an ‘unacceptable’ penalty during the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The Australian has three races left to climb back above his team-mate Lando Norris at the top of the Formula One World Championship, and will attempt to eat into the Brit’s 24-point lead at the top of the ladder this weekend in a rain-soaked Las Vegas.
However, he could be chasing a much smaller margin, after Piastri was slapped with a very harsh 10-second penalty at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
His race unravelled in the sixth lap after he entered a corner on the inside line with Kimi Antonelli coming around on his right flank. Antonelli made contact with the Australian and subsequently bumped Charles Leclerc, who sped off the track and was later ruled out of the race.
‘I can’t disappear,’ Piastri said over the radio, but stewards had bizarrely claimed that the Australian, was ‘wholly responsible’ for the collision claiming that he had ‘not established the required overlap prior to and at the apex.’
Piastri was sitting in second at the time but after the penalty would drop down to fifth, while Antonelli would go on to finish as runner-up behind Norris.
Multiple senior Formula One drivers have called for an urgent meeting with the FIA after Oscar Piastri (pictured) was slapped with what they described as an ‘unacceptable’ penalty during the Brazilian Grand Prix
Carlos Sainz (pictured) has called for an urgent meeting with FIA officials to discuss Piastri's 10-second penalty in Brazil
Piastri had taken the inside line on Antonelli and claimed that the Mercedes driver had not given him enough space
Reflecting on the race, the decision has infuriated Williams driver Carlos Sainz, who stated that a discussion needed to be held on the matter as soon as possible.
‘I think we need urgently a catch-up and try and solve it because for me the fact that Oscar got a penalty there in Brazil is unacceptable, honestly, for the category that we are in and being the pinnacle of motorsport,’ the Spaniard said ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
‘I’m not going to explain why, I think you all guys saw what happened. I think everyone who has seen racing knows that that is not Oscar’s fault at all.
‘Everyone else who has really raced a race car knows he could have done nothing to avoid an accident there.’
Even Charles Leclerc, who spun out of the race as a result of the incident, agreed.
‘In this case I really think Kimi knew and was aware that Oscar was on the inside,’ the Monegasque said. ‘Yes, he was not side-by-side which is the way it’s written in the rulebook, but you cannot really do a corner like nobody is on the inside if someone is on the inside, no matter how far he is.
‘I don’t think Oscar deserved all the blame.
‘So for me it’s a bit more of a 50-50 blame with Kimi and Oscar – I don’t think Oscar deserved all the blame there. But anyway, that doesn’t matter for me – it’s the end of the race which is very frustrating.’
Lando Norris (pictured) has a 24-point lead heading into the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend
Piastri would go on to pick up 10 points in Brazil after conceding the 10-second penalty, with Verstappen gaining ground on him on the Drivers’ Championship
Piastri would go on to pick up 10 points, with Verstappen gaining ground on him on the Drivers’ Championship.
However, he has since opened up on the matter, stating that he was appreciative of fellow drivers standing up for him.
“Fortunately for me, a lot of people have done the talking for me,” he said.
“I think when one of my fellow drivers is involved in the accident and says it’s not your fault, I think that’s a pretty good indication.
“It’s something that I’m sure we’ll talk about with the FIA, just to get some more understanding.
“I think it was a bit of a surprise for everyone here that this penalty was so harsh, myself included. So I’m sure we’ll talk about it.’
Drivers are set to meet up with FIA bosses ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix on November 30.
Sainz stated that the incident would be a top priority during the meeting.
‘I’m not sure what the solution is,’ the Williams driver said. I think it needs to be discussed among all of us,’ he said.
“It is very clear for me that after what I saw in Brazil, something’s not quite working if we have to judge that as a 10-second penalty for the guy that had no fault for anything that he did.’
