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Carlos Sainz expressed his feelings about Oscar Piastri's penalty at the Brazilian GP. Speaking about it, the Williams driver revealed that he did not like the way Piastri was penalized and found it "unacceptable."
During the race in Sao Paulo, Piastri was involved in a three-way collision with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, a collision that left the Monegasque with a DNF. As a consequence, the FIA stewards handed Piastri a 10-second time penalty.
Under the current racing rule, Piastri was not ahead in the apex, and as a result, Antonelli did not have to leave him the room. In doing so, Piastri was penalized, something Sainz, the GDPA director found problematic.
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"There’s been not one but multiple incidents this year that for me are far from where the sport should be. 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," Sainz stated.
"Everyone that's seen racing knows that that is not Oscar's fault at all, and everyone that's really raced a race car knows he could have done nothing to avoid an accident there and he got away with a 10-second penalty. For me, it's something that I don't understand. I didn't understand my Zandvoort penalty, I didn't understand why Ollie [Bearman] got a penalty when we both collided in Monza," he further added. (Via Motorsport.com)
As a consequence of the penalty, Oscar Piastri faced a stiff challenge in the race to stay in contention for points. In the end, the Australian driver, who started his race from P4, came home in P5, which was a significant blow for him in the world championship, as his title rival, Lando Norris won the race.
McLaren boss on Oscar Piastri's penalty: "definitely on the harsh side"
McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella shared his thoughts on Oscar Piastri's 10-second penalty, and stated it was slightly unfair. Speaking to the media after the race, here's what the McLaren boss said:
"In terms of the penalty, I would say that [it was] definitely on the harsh side," said Stella. "It's true, we see a little lock-up, but at the same time, he's able to maintain the trajectory, which is ultimately what counts." (Via F1.com)
After 21 races and five sprints, Oscar Piastri is in P2 of the Drivers' Championship with 366 points. His teammate, Lando Norris is leading the championship with 390 points with three races and a sprint left this season. Max Verstappen, the reigning champion and another contender for the title, is in P3 with 341 points.
