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Piastri’s Brazil Penalty Stands as Questions Grow Over F1’s ‘Apex’ Rule

Critics call the ruling a rigid reading of F1’s overtaking guidelines.

Overview

  • Stewards held Oscar Piastri solely responsible for the Turn 1 restart clash in São Paulo, issuing a 10-second penalty and two penalty points.
  • Their verdict cited insufficient overlap at the apex and a lock-up that showed his car was not fully under control before contact with Kimi Antonelli.
  • The impact sent Antonelli into Charles Leclerc and ended the Ferrari driver’s race, while Piastri finished fifth, Antonelli took second and Lando Norris won.
  • Norris’s victory extended his championship lead to 24 points with three rounds remaining, compounding the blow to Piastri’s title hopes.
  • Former driver Jolyon Palmer labeled the incident a racing incident and accused stewards of applying guidelines too rigidly, while Andrea Stella and Leclerc argued responsibility should be shared and Guenther Steiner criticized McLaren for not contesting the decision.