Overview
- Oscar Piastri has gone five Grands Prix without a podium and says the Monza team order lingered in his mind before his error‑strewn Baku weekend, which he called the worst of his career.
- FIA stewards penalized Piastri 10 seconds and two points for first‑corner contact with Andrea Kimi Antonelli in São Paulo, a decision McLaren did not formally challenge.
- Ex‑Haas boss Günther Steiner faulted McLaren for skipping a protest and argued the team should have presented its case to stewards, while Charles Leclerc suggested blame was shared in the incident.
- Ralf Schumacher criticized manager Mark Webber for not publicly rejecting boos of Lando Norris or debunking favoritism rumors, as Webber publicly emphasized guidance for Piastri without revisiting his own 2010 title fight.
- Sponsor Grill’d revised its Piastri promotion to award a free burger after any race participation, reflecting viral ‘burger curse’ chatter, while Max Verstappen sits 49 points behind Norris and risks effective title elimination in Las Vegas if he concedes nine or more points.