BREAKING : FIA Hands Oscar Piastri Penalty Verdict After Italian GP Practice Incident… Read more
FIA Hands Oscar Piastri Penalty Verdict After Italian GP Practice Incident
Oscar Piastri’s weekend at Monza got off to a complicated start, with the FIA issuing a formal penalty verdict against the McLaren star after a pit lane incident in Friday’s practice. The Australian, who currently leads the Formula 1 drivers’ championship by 34 points over teammate Lando Norris, was summoned to the stewards following FP2 at the Italian Grand Prix.
The controversy arose during the second practice session when the red flag was brought out after Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli spun off track, halting running for several minutes. Once the damaged car was cleared, the field prepared to resume, but questions were raised over the timing of Piastri’s release from the pits.
According to officials, the McLaren driver was allowed to leave his garage and enter the fast lane before the session had officially been restarted. That placed him under investigation for a possible breach of regulations surrounding red flag procedures, a serious matter given how tightly controlled pit lane safety rules are.
After being called to explain himself to the stewards, Piastri awaited their ruling. On Saturday morning, the FIA issued its decision: the 23-year-old championship leader would receive an official reprimand. Crucially, no grid penalty or time sanction was applied, meaning Piastri’s weekend remains intact.
The stewards explained that the relatively lenient outcome was due to the fact that the mistake happened during practice rather than in qualifying or the race itself. Incidents in competitive sessions generally carry harsher consequences, but practice infringements are often treated as less severe, especially when no advantage was gained.
In their statement, the officials outlined the reasoning in detail. “The team admitted during the hearing that they made a mistake as they reacted to the ‘track clear’ message instead of reacting to the message indicating the re-start time of the session,” the stewards said. In other words, McLaren misinterpreted the signals provided by race control and sent Piastri out too early.
McLaren were quick to hold their hands up and accept responsibility, acknowledging the error without dispute. Still, the stewards made it clear that had this situation occurred in a timed session where positions or points were on the line, the outcome would almost certainly have been more severe. A grid drop or even a pit lane penalty could have been imposed if the infringement had affected competitive running.
For Piastri, the reprimand serves as a reminder that even small miscommunications can come under scrutiny when leading the championship battle. With eight races left in the season, every detail matters, and avoiding unnecessary run-ins with the stewards will be key to maintaining his advantage over Norris and holding off a resurgent Max Verstappen.
The Monza weekend has already placed extra spotlight on McLaren’s handling of team dynamics and strategy, with both drivers pushing for the title. This latest incident only adds to the pressure, as fans and pundits alike keep a close eye on how the championship leader manages high-stakes situations on and off the track.
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