Piastri Receives 10-Second Penalty at British GP for Safety Car Incident

The FIA has explained the reasoning behind McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s 10-second penalty at the British Grand Prix — an incident that changed the race outcome.

On lap 21 of 52, race leader Piastri performed sudden braking on Hangar Straight as the safety car lights went out. This action forced second-placed Max Verstappen to take evasive maneuvers.

The stewards recorded brake pressure of 59.2 psi that slowed the McLaren from 218 km/h to 52 km/h — an action deemed to violate sporting regulations due to its erratic nature.

“Apparently you can’t brake behind the safety car anymore,” Piastri stated. “I did it for five laps before that. I’m not going to say too much, because I’ll get myself in trouble.”

The penalty was served during the final pit stop, allowing teammate Lando Norris to secure victory on home soil. Piastri finished second with his championship lead over Norris reduced to eight points.