On lap six of the Brazilian Grand Prix, during a safety car restart, Oscar Piastri piloting his McLaren attempted an ambitious move to overtake Kimi Antonelli on the inside into Turn 1.

Piastri went three-wide alongside Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, aiming to position himself to challenge leader Lando Norris. However, as Piastri braked hard, he locked up his front-left tyre and lost control, making contact with Antonelli’s car.

This forced Antonelli into Leclerc, causing significant damage to Leclerc’s Ferrari and forcing the latter’s retirement. The collision was a pivotal moment that reshaped the race dynamics and championship battle.​

Stewards’ Ruling and Penalty Explanation

The FIA race stewards investigated the incident thoroughly and found Piastri "wholly responsible" for the collision. According to the driving standards, Piastri failed to establish the necessary overlap with Antonelli’s car before the apex, as his front axle was not sufficiently alongside Antonelli’s mirror.

The stewards noted Piastri’s subsequent lock-up when trying to avoid the crash but determined that the attempt was unsuccessful. As a result, Piastri was given a 10-second time penalty to serve at his next pit stop and received two penalty points on his super license.

This penalty affected his finishing position, dropping him from second to fifth place and widening the points gap to teammate Norris.​

Controversy and Team Response

Despite accepting the penalty officially, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella expressed that the penalty was harsh and suggested shared responsibility with Antonelli.

Stella argued that Antonelli could have given more space to avoid the collision, indicating a complex racing scenario rather than a one-sided fault. The wider F1 community showed mixed reactions, with some feeling the stewards’ strict adherence to the regulations was appropriate, while others criticized the harshness, considering mitigating circumstances such as Piastri being squeezed by Antonelli’s positioning.

Nonetheless, the penalty stands, and it represents a major setback for Piastri’s championship chase with three rounds remaining.