McLaren’s Oscar Piastri expressed frustration over the penalties issued to him and his teammate, Lando Norris, during the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, pointing to what he believes is glaring inconsistency from the stewards. The penalties, which cost McLaren crucial points in the championship, have reignited debate over the fairness and clarity of the rules.
Lando Norris was slapped with a five-second penalty after going off track and gaining an advantage over Max Verstappen during a late-race scrap for third place. The incident, which occurred at Turn 12 on Lap 52, ultimately stripped Norris of a podium finish and valuable points in his pursuit of the championship. Meanwhile, Piastri himself was hit with a similar penalty during Saturday’s sprint race for forcing Alpine’s Pierre Gasly off track at the same corner.
Piastri was left perplexed, highlighting the contradictory nature of the decisions. “I think if you look at my penalty from the sprint, it was basically a carbon copy of Max and Lando’s, but I stayed on the track and got the penalty,” he said. “It’s not very clear. As drivers, we all have different interpretations of what’s fair, especially when it comes to battling on the outside.”
He emphasized the difficulty in penalizing one driver when both cars leave the track, as was the case with Norris and Verstappen. “The difference of 10 or 20 centimetres shouldn’t determine whether you have the right to space or not,” Piastri added, questioning the stewards’ judgment and noting that it’s tough for officials, who may lack the driving experience, to make those split-second calls.
Piastri’s comments come in the wake of Norris’ penalty, which arose after two contentious incidents between the Briton and Verstappen. The first occurred on Lap 1 at Turn 1, where both cars ran wide, but no action was taken by the stewards, something McLaren’s Team Principal Andrea Stella reluctantly accepted as part of the opening-lap chaos.
However, the second incident at Turn 12 saw both Norris and Verstappen go off track, with the stewards ruling against Norris for gaining an advantage. Verstappen, who led at the apex, was deemed to have defended within the rules, which Piastri argued is unfair given that both cars left the track. “It’s difficult to give a penalty when both guys go off the track,” he said, hinting at the inconsistency between his own sprint penalty and Norris’ race incident.
Verstappen, who has been in similar situations before, was unapologetic, citing a clear interpretation of the rules. “They [McLaren] complain about a lot lately anyway,” the Dutchman said. “But it’s very clear in the rules—outside the white line, you cannot pass. I’ve been done for it as well in the past.”
The penalty has reignited discussion about how F1 stewards apply the rules. For Piastri, the lack of consistency has left a bitter taste, as his and Norris’ penalties may have cost McLaren dearly in the close fight for the constructors’ championship. As the season nears its conclusion, McLaren is seeking clarity and fairness from race officials, particularly when such decisions could impact the outcome of the title battle.
