10/07/2025 06:30
Oscar Piastri's emotional reaction to seeing victory at the British
Grand Prix snatched away from his clutches exposed a side to the
Australian seldom seen since his ascent to F1. The McLaren driver
had to settle for second place at Silverstone, whilst Lando Norris
profited from his race-deciding 10-second time penalty. It was a
controversial call from the stewards, one that has divided opinion.
To many, penalising Piastri for his actions at the second safety
car restart – or at least the extent of the punishment – was
unjust. The biggest question being asked in the aftermath was: Why
did Piastri get punished for a sudden braking event behind the
safety car at Silverstone, whilst George Russell avoided punishment
for doing the same at the Canadian Grand Prix? There are multiple
distinctions to be drawn between the two incidents. Firstly, the
seven-time grand prix winner's braking pressure was almost twice
that of the Mercedes driver (59.2 psi to 30 psi). Secondly, it
occurred in wet, low-visibility conditions. It was considerably
more dangerous and the chain reaction concertinaed through the
pack; Nico Hulkenberg almost ploughed into the back of Lance Stroll
- imagine! Lastly, the safety car's lights had gone off, restoring
control to Piastri in preparation for a restart, whereas Russell's
case was behind a safety car still determining the pace. A small
piece of a wider picture, but enough to change the scenario. It is
within the final point where extenuating circumstances could be
found; the safety car lights went out late, and just as the McLaren
driver was accelerating. He did not want that to be interpreted as
him resuming the race - which would have been even more dangerous
given the position of the safety car, which would have quickly been
flooded by the pack - so he braked. Although the counterpoint to
that is that Piastri could have eased off the throttle and allowed
the safety car to clear, a heavy braking event was not required.
Previously in The Scoop Max Verstappen – often hungry to point out
the indiscretion of a rival – made a meal out of it, too. That
didn't help matters, but the Dutchman is hardly alone in being an
opportunist when it comes to such things. Despite that, the Red
Bull driver called the penalty "extreme" as he defended Piastri in
his post-race remarks. The Australian was understandably aggrieved
given the situation, but contentious severity of punishment or
otherwise, unfortunately for the 24-year-old, the officials had him
bang to rights on the penalty itself. Whether a mitigated
five-second time penalty would have been more befitting of the
scenario or not, it is difficult to know how it would have
influenced the race or if it would have altered the result. The
14-point swing flipped what would have been a healthy 22-point
advantage over his team-mate into just an eight-point lead at the
halfway mark in the season - it's a hardly comfortable situation.
However, it is Piastri's visible and palpable anger elicited by the
incident that could be of the most benefit to Norris; the stewards'
decision got under the former's skin, uncovering a chink in his
armour, one open to potential exploitation from the latter. A
developing vulnerability? Unfazed . Unflappable . Ice running
through his veins . All used to describe Piastri over the course of
the current campaign, all contrasted against Norris, who has shown
weakness and become error-prone. Over recent rounds, mistakes,
albeit small ones, have crept in for the championship leader, too.
More consequentially, though, is witnessing him be rattled, for the
first time in a long time. His radio message aimed at his former
team, Alpine, during the Austrian Grand Prix, was a preview, but
his parc ferme interview with Jenson Button was telling. "I'm not
going to say much," Piastri said. "I'll get myself in trouble.
Apparently, you're not allowed to brake behind the safety car
anymore. I did it before for five laps." Conversely, Norris held it
all together in a situation he might otherwise have crumbled in.
The pressure was high in front of his home fans, and an important
championship points swing on the line. His team-mate had been
quicker all race, but successful title challenges are built on
finding a way to win when your opponent is faster, and Norris
didn't put a foot wrong. He seized the opportunity when it came,
and he did what he needed to do. The field is thinning, Verstappen
and Russell are falling away. At a certain point, Piastri and
Norris will stand alone, and the gloves will surely come off.
Norris' glimmer of hope The saving grace and upside for the
Australian, he was able to stay focused and still get the most left
on offer, and he showed his capacity to think strategically despite
the aggravation. McLaren disagreed with the penalty, and he knew
that. In a real put your money where your mouth is moment, he
suggested his and Norris' positions be inverted, having served his
punishment, despite not reasonably expecting the team to agree. "I
thought I would ask the question. I knew what the answer was going
to be before I asked, but just wanted a small glimmer of hope that
maybe I could get it back," he explained. "But no, I knew it wasn't
going to happen." Whilst it was cheeky, team principal Andrea
Stella's response cut to how McLaren is managing its two drivers, a
key ingredient in the intra-squad battle itself. "As part of the
way we go racing together as a team, and with Lando and Oscar, we
always tell our drivers: 'Don't keep things in the back of your
mind when you drive'," the Italian said. "If you have a point, if
you have a suggestion, if you want to let us know what you're
thinking, just say it. And then we will evaluate... We will make a
decision. We will come back to you. "So I think what Oscar did is
exactly what we incentivise our drivers to do. He communicated, he
expressed his opinion, which we evaluated. "In reality, the way we
manage the situation, given the penalty, was to allow Oscar,
despite the penalty, in case of a safety car, to retain the lead,
because if there was a safety car, both guys would have pitted.
"Oscar would have paid the penalty. Lando could have waited. And
the two McLarens would have gone out in the same order as they came
in. "But at the point in which we needed to have the transition of
the dry tyres, then the penalty was paid, and at that stage we
thought that we should just retain the natural order gained through
the penalty. "So I think this was fair for both, and I'm sure that
Oscar will understand and agree to this point of view." McLaren's
foundation of fairness between the two seeks to minimise animosity
and tension within the team, and every decision it makes is in
pursuit of that end, but how much longer can it maintain harmony
between the pair? The field is thinning, Verstappen and Russell are
falling away. At a certain point, Piastri and Norris will stand
alone, and the gloves will surely come off. The reigning
constructors' champion will do all in its power to prevent the
title battle from turning bitter, but it will become increasingly
difficult. At this stage, both drivers insist they want to play
fair and let civility prevail, but will that ethos endure at the
apex of a championship fight when it is all on the line? McLaren is
doing all it can, but whether consciously absorbed by Norris or
not, Piastri showed at Silverstone that his team-mate can get under
his skin, if he so wishes; he can be provoked, if necessary. That
is the British driver's glimmer of hope. Can he, and is he willing
to, capitalise on it?
