Carlos Sainz has criticized the penalty given to Oscar Piastri at the Brazilian Grand Prix, calling it ‘unacceptable’ and urging a meeting with F1 officials to clarify racing rules. Sainz also expressed confusion over several penalties issued post the summer break.
During the race in Brazil, Piastri was in fourth position behind Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, and Charles Leclerc when he attempted an overtake maneuver but collided with the Mercedes driver, leading to contact between Antonelli and Leclerc. Piastri received a 10-second time penalty from the stewards, affecting his championship bid despite finishing fifth.
In anticipation of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Sainz emphasized the need for a discussion, stating, “The penalty given to Oscar in Brazil is unacceptable given the racing standards we should uphold in the pinnacle of motorsport.”
Refusing to elaborate further, Sainz pointed out that the incident was not Piastri’s fault, and those familiar with racing would agree. He highlighted his own penalties earlier in the season, expressing frustration with the inconsistency in applying racing rules.
Piastri faces a 24-point deficit in the championship race as he heads into the season-ending triple header, aiming to challenge for the 2025 F1 world champion title. Despite recent podium droughts, Piastri seeks to outperform his competitors, including Norris, who is on a winning streak.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.