"The FIA really wants to help Lando": F1 fans livid as Oscar Piastri gets penalty for crash with Kimi Antonelli at Brazilian GP

Oscar Piastri’s 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix unraveled within the opening laps at Interlagos after a chaotic sequence of collisions. The incident left Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc out of the race, as the McLaren driver was hit with a 10-second penalty.

The incident occurred on lap six, moments after the safety car period caused by Gabriel Bortoleto’s crash. As the field bunched up for the restart, Piastri attempted an aggressive move down the inside of Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, only for contact to send both cars off line and collect Leclerc in the process.

Leclerc’s Ferrari sustained heavy suspension damage and came to a stop near Turn 3, triggering a Virtual Safety Car. Shortly after, Formula 1’s official X handle confirmed:

“🚨 Piastri has been handed a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision at the restart.”

That update sent social media into meltdown. Many fans rushed to defend the McLaren driver, arguing that the three-wide squeeze gave Oscar Piastri nowhere to go. One fan posted:

“This is a fu**ing joke!!! It looks like the FIA really wants to help Lando 😡.”

Fans argued that Antonelli had turned across too sharply, with Leclerc trapped on the outside line. The penalty, they felt, was harsh given the lap-one chaos and the tricky Turn 1 braking zone that had already caught out several drivers during the weekend.

Others echoed that sentiment.

While stewards concluded Oscar Piastri was “predominantly at fault,” the decision reignited debate over inconsistent penalty calls in recent races. Adding to Ferrari’s misfortune, both Leclerc and teammate Lewis Hamilton retired early, the latter after suffering floor damage in first-lap contact with Franco Colapinto.

Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda and Hamilton were each given five-second penalties for separate infractions later in the race, compounding a miserable Sunday for multiple teams.

Oscar Piastri salvages P5 after time penalty as Lando Norris takes victory in Brazil

Lando Norris (4) leads Oscar Piastri during the F1 Grand Prix of Brazil. Source: Getty

Despite the early setback, Oscar Piastri’s race didn’t completely fall apart. The Australian served his 10-second penalty during his pit stop, a long 13.5-second halt that cost him vital track position, but still managed to recover valuable points through consistent pace and tire management.

“He left me no space,” Piastri told his race engineer over the radio.

Though replays showed all three drivers squeezed into a narrow Turn 1 entry, with little margin for error.

McLaren opted for a one-stop strategy, bringing Piastri in on lap 39 for a switch to soft tires, after initially extending his first stint longer than teammate Lando Norris. By that time, Norris had already regained the lead following his own pit stop on lap 31, executing a smooth 2.2-second turnaround from mediums to used softs. The Briton maintained control from there, opening up a gap of over six seconds on Antonelli in the final stages.

Behind them, Antonelli struggled with braking issues and came under increasing pressure from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who was closing fast on softs. Oscar Piastri trailed Verstappen by around four seconds but couldn’t mount a late charge. He eventually crossed the line in P5, behind Norris, Antonelli, Verstappen, and George Russell - a respectable finish considering his penalty.

At the front, Norris’ drive earned him back-to-back wins, strengthening his position atop the drivers’ standings and handing McLaren another major boost in its title challenge. For Oscar Piastri, the day offered mixed emotions as he is now on 366 points, behind Norris on 390, and ahead of Verstappen on 341.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam